BT News Companies Group hosted the Informatics Summit 2018.
This year, the event was organized under the theme “Smart Things - Knowing Technologies” and with the main sponsorship of Türkiye İş Bankası, and Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, participated as a speaker.
Starting his speech by stating that the first thing that comes to mind when technology is mentioned is the word “ease,” Deputy Minister Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan said, “Ease; that is, tiring less, being happier, having more free time. And humanity has sought ways to make life easier with technology throughout known history. They have aimed to accomplish important and necessary tasks with the least effort and thus pursue things that truly make them happy. However, for our generation, including the esteemed participants in this hall today, the situation is completely different. Our generation is probably witnessing some of the most magnificent events in history, moreover, simultaneously. One of them is the creation of true machine intelligence, and the other is the connection of all humanity to a common digital network in a way that will change the economic paradigms of our planet. Along with these extraordinary developments that cause great excitement, the dangers of humanity coming under the control of digital technologies on this scale are also frequently discussed. While some see technological progress as a development that will lead to humanity's salvation, some renowned scientists focus on more negative scenarios and the unintended side effects of technologies.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: We Are on the Threshold of the Second Machine Age
Noting that there are rumors in the world that artificial intelligence will be the last thing humans invent, Sayan stated, “Developments in technology indicate that in the next 20-25 years, almost all dimensions of our lives will undergo a much greater transformation than in the past 20-25 years. The world is connected like a nervous system through the Internet of Things, and this is just a small part of this new world. In the future, we will start working together with machines in many areas and ways that we cannot even imagine now. We are on the threshold of a new era where we will literally connect with machines. The name of this era will undoubtedly be the Second Machine Age. The contributions of the technologies brought by this age to our lives are felt very intensely. The variety and quantity of consumption are also increasing at an extremely rapid pace. When we present development in this way according to economics and its terms; development may not seem very appealing. We are aware that the desire to always consume more is not very humane. The unwanted consequences of consuming too many calories or fuel, such as obesity, environmental pollution, and traffic, are well known to all of us. However, we are not just consuming calories and gasoline.”
Emphasizing that the concept of “Big Data” cannot be left out when talking about “Smart Things” and “Knowing Technologies,” Sayan said, “We cannot talk without mentioning the concept of ‘Big Data,’ which knows many things much better than traditional methods. In today's world where people ask search engines everything, we observe access to incredibly large amounts of data. Developments in the collection, storage, and processing speeds of data show that we have entered an era where we can derive results from this data,” and added: “When smart things and knowing technologies are in question, an important topic that particularly comes to the minds of us public administrators is employment. We often hear complaints that new technologies will deprive people of their jobs. However, despite the very rapid changes in digital technologies, I think the digital workforce is still far from replacing human labor. Although robots and computers increase their power and capabilities every day, they will not completely take over all professions. Today, autonomous cars cannot set off on all roads and under every condition, and when they encounter a traffic policeman managing traffic due to an accident or construction in the middle of a street, or a road maintenance worker waving a flag, they don't know what to do. In the short term, companies still need human workers to maintain profitability and satisfy customers.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Turkey is in a Position to be a Managing Country in Every Field
Stating that excessive use of technology can lead to dependency, Deputy Minister Sayan said in his speech, “At this point, through our Ministry and our regulatory institution, the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK), we are examining the aspects of these technologies that concern us and striving to adopt a supportive approach from every angle for both users and developers of these technologies. With the awareness that all kinds of smart technologies will connect to each other via the internet, and that this internet will be mobile internet rather than wired internet, we are aware of how important 5G and beyond technologies are for smart technologies, and we are trying to channel our efforts and resources in this direction. As we all know, 5G has features that will change the paradigms of both communication and other sectors. With 5G, not only people but everything from the largest to the smallest will communicate with each other. At this point, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s encouraging and guiding stance regarding conducting studies appropriate to 5G levels is a great opportunity for us. Turkey aims to be a country that not only participates but also sets the rules and manages in every field. It is not possible for us to make significant progress or be decision-makers with a passive attitude.”
Also touching on the need to increase awareness and develop applications in the field of cybersecurity with the increasing widespread use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, Sayan said, “While many countries prepare a national cybersecurity strategy, we also need to talk about national strategies regarding the privacy of personal data. The privacy of personal data emerges as an issue directly affecting the trust of the entire ecosystem in matters like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. It is not very possible for digital transformation to occur at desired levels in countries that cannot create a secure cyber environment. As our Ministry and BTK, together with our stakeholders; we are rapidly continuing our works towards establishing the necessary infrastructure for smart things and knowing technologies to be used and widespread effectively and efficiently, producing equipment operating on this infrastructure with domestic and national capabilities, and ensuring the security of the entire ecosystem,” and concluded his speech.