Türkiye don come up wit new plan for artificial intelligence (AI) wey get plenty goals – like to join global data governance, do responsible AI research, and work on international AI projects wit countries wey dey important strategically and top tech organisations.

Dr. Merve Ayyuce Kizrak, wey be AI specialist wey help Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and Digital Transformation Office (DTO) – wey dey under Turkish presidency – prepare dis new AI strategy, tell TRT World say di government dey see AI as tool wey fit solve di world biggest problems and dem wan dey front for dis change.

According to Kizrak, Ministry of Industry and Technology and DTO start work on AI National Risk Management Framework for 2022, and dis one later become di main foundation for di country AI strategy.

“Di main goal na to make Türkiye leader for di new global relations and power balance wey AI technology dey bring,” Kizrak talk. “Di strategy document go help Türkiye stay ahead for dis fast-changing area.”

AI dey change industries and dey affect every part of our life fast, and e don clear say no country fit handle dis technology alone.

Even though AI dey promise to change di world, people dey worry about digital sovereignty and privacy of citizens pass before.

As countries dey try use di power of AI and reduce di bad side, global cooperation don become very important to shape di future of AI.

“As AI and data don become new tools for economic development, we gatz make sure say di benefits dey spread well well for countries and societies, while we still dey protect human rights and freedom,” Dr. Safa Uslu, wey be head of international relations for DTO, talk.

As virtual worlds dey shape di future of human beings, e don dey very important to put ethics and laws for all digital technologies to protect human rights.

Uslu also talk say dem need to take proactive steps – like to protect citizen data inside Turkish borders and build firewalls to stop social profiling of Turkish citizens by outsiders – and to develop AI technologies wey go help society move forward.

By practising AI diplomacy, Türkiye wan increase di impact wey dem get, open new economic opportunities, and encourage human-centred responsible use of AI technologies.

Di term “Responsible AI” mean to develop AI systems wey go reduce harm to society, promote fairness and inclusivity, and protect privacy and human rights.

Türkiye First AI Strategy

“To develop national AI strategy na must to prepare for di impact wey AI go get for international relations,” one report wey DiploFoundation publish talk. DiploFoundation na international NGO wey dey focus on Internet governance and digital policy.

Türkiye join di list of countries wey get AI strategy for 2021 when dem launch di first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy wit di motto “creating value on a global scale wit agile and sustainable AI ecosystem for better Türkiye” for August 2021.

Fostering International Cooperation on AI

To achieve dis goals, Turkish officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Technology, and DTO dey represent Türkiye for international decision-making bodies like EU, G7, and OECD.

Di Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) na one of di popular international bodies wey dey provide guidelines and encourage ethical use of AI. E dey under Council of Europe and dem dey work to create rules wey public and private sectors go follow for AI research, design, and implementation.

“Di Turkish delegation dey actively involved for di diplomatic efforts to shape and finalise di CAI international convention on AI,” Seyma Ozcan from DTO talk for her article “Diplomacy in di Digital Age” wey dey inside di book “The Century of Digital” wey SETA publish.

Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) na another international initiative wey G7 launch for June 2020. Dem describe am as “multi-stakeholder initiative to promote responsible AI use wey respect human rights and democratic values,” according to di organisation website.

Currently, e get 29 member states, and Türkiye membership application enter for November 2022.

“Through di GPAI membership, Türkiye go add value to di international collaboration for di platform to promote responsible development and use of AI,” Turkish Foreign Ministry talk for one statement, wey stress di importance of di multi-stakeholder collaboration under GPAI to adopt trustworthy AI and reduce challenges.

Türkiye go dey actively involved for GPAI activities and promote ethical and responsible use of AI, dem talk.

Zumrut Muftuoglu na GPAI member and she dey represent Türkiye for some of di initiative working groups. She get PhD for privacy-enhancing AI technologies.

Privacy Enhancing Technologies na one of di projects wey she dey work on for GPAI as di subject na her area of expertise. “Here, we dey focus on secure data sharing without affecting user privacy or countries’ sovereignty,” she tell TRT World.

“Türkiye Digital Transformation Office dey contribute to GPAI activities according to di shared values and goals by supporting ethical and responsible AI use through di high-level country representation and technical experts,” she add.

OECD dey play big role to shape policies and strategies to regulate and promote ethical and responsible AI use as one of di most influential organisations wey dey set international policy guidelines for digital economy.

Di OECD Recommendation on AI, wey dem adopt for 2019, dey aim to build AI ecosystem wey go support democratic and ethical principles; as founding member of OECD and active participant for di policy-making process, Türkiye don sign to support dis goal.

Di proposal for dis recommendation on AI talk say e dey important to promote AI wey dey innovative and reliable, while e still dey respect human rights, protect democratic values, and dey responsible.

Türkiye dey also contribute to OECD AI studies, like di AI Expert Network and di Working Party on AI Governance (WPAIGO), and dem dey actively promote AI wey dey driven by ethical and democratic ideals.