Interdisciplinary AI project fair kicks off in Ankara

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) – The Interdisciplinary Artificial Intelligence Project Fair kicked off in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Thursday.

The two-day event, organized by Ankara University, aims to foster collaboration between academia, industry, and public institutions in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay, EU envoy to Türkiye Thomas Hans Ossowski, head of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce Gursel Baran, Vice President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) Mesut Guner, and Ankara University’s rector, Necdet Unuvar, attended the opening ceremony, along with other ambassadors, academics, and students.

Bozay said on the occasion that the event would contribute to Türkiye’s digital transformation by bringing together innovative ideas in AI.

He said Türkiye needs to act within a certain arrangement and a certain combination of regulation and innovation.

"Here, as an EU candidate country and the institution with which we have the most scientific and commercial cooperation, we are looking at what we can do with the EU,” he added.

Underlining the importance of establishing a “responsible AI ecosystem with collective work,” he said there are different commitments towards innovation and risk management in the global framework, which requires awareness and balance in these different commitments.

At the meeting of US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said AI is one of the top agenda items as Ukraine has the minerals used by China in electric vehicle production that would affect the future of the power balance between the countries.

As AI becomes increasingly important in determining ties and balances between countries, Bozay believed that Trump and Zelenskyy will discuss the issue of minerals in Ukraine, as the future belongs to countries that excel in artificial intelligence, quantum computers, and other batteries.

- ‘World is experiencing AI revolution’

The EU envoy Ossowski, for his part, emphasized AI's many benefits while cautioning that it also has some drawbacks.

“By 2030, the EU set its target to have 20 million IT specialists to be employed in the EU,” he said.

For digital public services, he said: “By 2030, all EU citizens should have access to electronic health records.”

On Türkiye’s participation in the Digital Europe program, he said: “Digital Europe provides an invaluable platform to strengthen Türkiye’s digital infrastructure, enhance its competitiveness in the global digital economy, and support the ongoing digital transformation of its industries.

Baran, for his part, said AI is rapidly entering every area of ​​social and economic life and making its impact felt every day.

"We are now witnessing processes shaped by the power of AI in health, education, production, trade, and many sectors. These developments not only provide efficiency but also reveal radical changes in sectors, economies, and social structures. In short, the world is experiencing an artificial intelligence revolution,” he said.

To date, more than 60 countries, including Türkiye, have prepared AI strategies and continue their work to accelerate competition in this area, he added.

- ‘We continue to provide support for academic studies to turn into products’

On the occasion, Guner said as the world is constantly developing, they need to keep up and not fall behind in terms of both economy and power.

He emphasized that TUBITAK provides significant support to the projects of universities, businesses, and students, saying: "We continue to provide support for academic studies to be translated into products. We cannot sustain ourselves solely on TUBİTAK. It is especially valuable to us that academics prioritize these issues."

Unuvar, for his part, said that for the first time, sector representatives and investors met with academics at an Ankara University-organized event.

"If you look at countries that produce the most, you will notice that universities and industry collaborate closely. Today's project market will be an event that serves precisely this purpose," he said.

Following the speeches, participants explored the projects at the exhibition hall and received information. Ambassador Ossowski chatted for a while with Maya, Türkiye’s first academic robot developed with AI.

In the afternoon session, doctors, academics, health professionals, and IT experts discussed the contributions of AI to patient care, data security, and the future of AI.

Omer Erdeve, a pediatric expert, said they could develop diagnostic approaches using data and information processing.

In early diagnostic warning systems for critically ill patients, Erdeve said AI will be able to evaluate real-time monitor data instantly.