Information Technologies and Communication Authority President
Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu spoke about the importance of software in the “Artificial Intelligence
Specialist Training Program” covering the provinces of Balıkesir and Çanakkale.
South Marmara Development Agency, our Information Technologies and Communication Institution, Balıkesir University, Human Resources and Training Department Presidency, BTK Academy Coordination, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of National Education and Çanakkale Provincial Directorate of National Education have launched the “Artificial Intelligence Specialist Training Program” in the TR22 Region covering the provinces of Balıkesir and Çanakkale in collaboration. Speaking at the opening of the program, BTK President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu stated that software policies have virtually become a part of economic development. Noting that technology literacy holds great importance for this reason, Karagözoğlu reminded that when looking at the current state of the economy today, the highest-earning companies in the world are IT and software companies.
Emphasizing that in today's world where digital companies challenge traditional sectors, artificial intelligence technologies will be the rising global power, Karagözoğlu said, “With the widespread use of artificial intelligence, significant changes will occur in the way jobs are done, and computer automation systems will replace human labor. Today, artificial intelligence is already being utilized in many areas, including finance, meteorology, defense industry and primarily military services, health, insurance companies, computer games, banking and customer recognition systems, aviation, transportation, and more. In fact, its use in such diverse sectors in daily life, combined with concerns and motivations of the economic order accelerating developments in the field, allows us to say that artificial intelligence has now become a main branch of science. Very soon, we will use artificial intelligence technology in every field from medicine to transportation, from call center services to communication technologies, in a way that pushes the limits of human intelligence,” he forecasted.
President Karagözoğlu: We Are Working for Our Country to Have a Place in the Global Artificial Intelligence Market
Mentioning the support they provide to domestic software to contribute to Turkey's transformation and achieve the 2023 targets, Karagözoğlu said, “We are accelerating our efforts for our country to take its place in the global artificial intelligence market in the coming years. As a country with a growing economy and a software and cloud market potential of approximately 766 million dollars, we have a lot more road to travel in terms of technology and software. The developments underlying the term “National Software,” which our esteemed President has repeatedly emphasized in recent years, lie here. For the security of our data, which is of great importance for our country, it is of utmost importance that public institutions and the sector use domestic software and that our young people are trained urgently in the software field.”
Touching on the studies they have conducted on this subject, Karagözoğlu provided information about the activities of BTK Academy, which operates under the BTK umbrella. Underscoring that as a regulatory and supervisory institution in the sector, they aim to transfer the knowledge they have acquired to young people and job seekers through BTK Academy, and to contribute to the employment of competent personnel needed by the sector with certification trainings recognized nationally and internationally, Karagözoğlu called out to all young people with the words, “Because our coding and software sector needs solid soldiers who know what it wants.”
President Karagözoğlu concluded his speech by saying, “I think student-, region-, and human-centered initiatives are very meaningful and a good move in terms of equal opportunities. The purpose of the initiative we are launching here today, as I mentioned earlier, is to reveal the potential in the youth of our country and region and to contribute to their employment. We expect every student interested in software, without any departmental restrictions, to benefit from these programs to the maximum extent.”