Baykar Chairman of the Board of Directors, Selçuk Bayraktar, discussed the current developments in the technology world, the artificial intelligence race and digital sovereignty in his speech at the Turkey Artificial Intelligence Summit. Bayraktar emphasized that technology should be a tool that protects human dignity.

Drawing attention to the domination created by global technology giants in his speech, Bayraktar stated that these systems target not only devices but also human will. Stating that social media and digital platforms make users addicted with dopamine-focused algorithms, Bayraktar said that this structure separates people from their health, mental faculties and freedom.

Bayraktar stated that civilian technology products can now turn into tools of power and that a new dependency and control system has been established through smartphones, watches, communication networks and supply chains. Drawing attention to the dangers of a world in which technology mechanizes people, Bayraktar emphasized that the main goal is not to establish a fair world in which people are mechanized, but where technology serves humanity.

National Technology Move Against Digital Domination

Bayraktar said that Türkiye should draw its own unique path against the models of global monopolies that require huge process power. He stated that instead of following the rules set by others, as in the UAV and SİHA projects, the focus should be on innovative approaches that will create a paradigm transformation.

Defining large language models as essentially statistical prediction machines, Bayraktar stated that progress in the field of artificial intelligence should not be based solely on brute process power. Reminding that the human brain can discover the basic laws of the cosmos with a power capacity not even exceeding 20 watts, Bayraktar said that there is a need for more efficient methods inspired by human intellectual abilities in artificial intelligence.

Referring to the value of a hybrid artificial intelligence approach built on humanity’s scientific knowledge and centering on the physical world, the structure of language and intellectual abilities, Bayraktar argued that more complex problems can be solved with low process power.

According to Bayraktar, open source, transparent and auditable software, hardware and technology ecosystems are critical for information security and digital sovereignty. Bayraktar stated that even in cases where external technology needs to be procured in the short term, the open source model should be a rule, especially for infrastructure software and hardware, and that open source is indispensable in terms of privacy and digital sovereignty.

Bayraktar also stated that distributed learning and process architectures should be developed instead of delivering data to the servers of global technology giants. He stated that in this model, data will remain within institutions and countries, and algorithms can learn without compromising privacy.

Technological Solidarity Alliance Emphasis

Bayraktar said that Türkiye should direct its resources to future technologies in areas ranging from artificial intelligence to advanced chip technologies, from quantum information processing to robotic automation. He stated that distributed process and data center models should be developed to reduce dependence on massive and centralized cloud structures.

Bayraktar, who also invited the “Technological Solidarity Alliance” in his speech, said that Türkiye should share the high technology it has developed with friendly, brotherly and oppressed peoples. According to Bayraktar, this unity should not only be an alliance on paper, but also a deep mental revolution against digital domination.

TEKNOFEST Generation and Humanitarian Technology Vision

Stating that the TEKNOFEST generation is a generation of freedom that is breaking the digital shackles, Bayraktar said that these young people are developing new projects not only in the defense industry but also in the field of artificial intelligence and digital platforms. He stated that the new generation artificial intelligence systems developed at Baykar, autonomous herds that communicate with each other, and the work on defense technologies bear the signature of this generation.

Bayraktar stated that artificial intelligence should not be seen only as a field of competition and power, and said that technology also offers great opportunities for education, health and social welfare. He stated that artificial intelligence can make valuable contributions to humanity in areas such as protein synthesis, smart drug discovery, cancer research, robotic surgery and personalized education assistants.

Citing projects such as NSosyal, T3AI language model and KÜRE Digital Encyclopedia as examples, Bayraktar said that Türkiye has started to develop its own social networks, language models and secure information resources. Stating that T3AI was trained with Turkish resources and cultural values, Bayraktar stated that versions of the model with different parameters were shared with institutions for the public benefit.

Bayraktar stated that KÜRE Digital Encyclopedia has an obvious source and author and is a work of open source and secure information understanding, and emphasized that protecting the truth in the digital age is as valuable as developing technology.

Stating that artificial intelligence is not only a technical field of competition, but also requires a philosophical stance, Bayraktar said that technology’s objectification of humans should be opposed. Saying that it is a dangerous mistake for people to bless the algorithms they produce themselves, Bayraktar stated that the National Technology Move carries not only a technological but also a humanitarian and moral vision.

Bayraktar concluded his speech by stating that the map of the future should be drawn with free will and solidarity. He underlined that technology should be used not as a tool of domination, but as an opportunity that elevates people and consciousness.

What do you think should be the most critical step to protect our digital sovereignty in artificial intelligence technologies?