Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) President Ebubekir Şahin, in his speech at the opening of the "International Media Summit in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)" organized in cooperation with RTÜK and the Artificial Intelligence Policy Association (AIPA) said, "AI technology is now an indispensable reality of the media. AI technologies make the reconsideration of ethical values of media ​​and user rights obligatory.”

The International Media Summit in the Age of Artificial Intelligence was held today in a hotel in Ankara, in cooperation with RTÜK and AIPA.  The summit was attended primarily by the Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin, RTÜK Members Dr. Deniz Güçer, Nurullah Öztürk, Tuncay Keser, RTÜK Vice President Deniz Güler and AIPA Founding President Zafer Küçükşabanoğlu. Other participants were the leading representatives of the digital and traditional media sectors, academicians, and the authorities coming from the technology sector.

In the opening speech of the summit, AIPA Founding President Zafer Küçükşabanoğlu shared his views on the development of the correct use of AI technologies in the area of media and how to reduce therein the risks such as manipulation, disinformation, hate speech and cyber bullying and said, “AI is not only the technology of the future, but also the technology of today, we believe that the correct use of this technology within media will increase social benefit." Apart from this, he also emphasized the importance of formulating AI regulations in a socially responsible manner. He expressed that AIPA’s goal would be to implement cooperation for this purpose among the stakeholders, and as a result, ensure both individual and social benefits.

In his speech, Küçükşabanoğlu also drew attention to Türkiye’s potential in the AI area. ''If we can increase our youth's interest in AI, our country can progress rapidly in this area. AI is not a luxury for Türkiye, but a strategic necessity," he said. Stating that Türkiye should treat investments to AI as an obligation, Küçükşabanoğlu said, "Our lands are not unfamiliar to changes and transformations, we should be the pioneers of this transformation."

Following Küçükşabanoğlu, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin started his opening speech by celebrating everyone’s "21st November - World Television Day". President Şahin congratulated the members of the whole television community.

We use AI effectively in “Türkiye’s Century”

Reminding that people all over the world is talking about AI and that AI is used in many areas, RTÜK President Şahin said, "As a developed country, it is naturally not possible in this Century for Türkiye to fall behind on this issue. For this reason, our country is implementing many activities in the area of AI. While our public or private relevant institutions and our universities are carefully studying about what needs to be done in this area on the one hand, our NGOs such as the AIPA constitute on the other hand an important driving force in the civil organizations’ side.” He also said, “Today, our AIPA association will announce the results of a very important research conducted on the perception of media and AI in society."

RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin emphasized that President of the Republic of Türkiye Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally follows and cares about the issue of AI and continued on his speech as follows:

"Recently, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally attended the International Women and Justice Summit with its theme "AI and Women" organized by the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) and shared his views. In Türkiye’s Century, under the leadership of our President, we are already using this technology effectively in many areas, especially in our defense industry. We aim to expand the technological superiority that we have managed to obtain into every area. It is impossible not to use AI when developing high-tech, value-added products. AI applications also attract attention in the media field for which we are responsible.”

“AI brings about a major transformation in the media field. Innovations provided by AI in many areas, from content production to personalized news feeds, data analysis and improvement of user experiences, are shaping the future of media. We are learning the good aspects of AI day by day, and soon experts on the subject will list the benefits of this new technology. As the head of a broadcasting authority with public responsibility, our duty is to be cautious against the risks that may arise when using this technology. AI technologies necessitate the reconsideration of the ethical values of media ​​and user rights."

AI technology is now an indispensable reality of the media

RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin earmarked that AI offers personalized media contents to its users, and at this very point, one should be aware of the enormous power possessed by AI in influencing the people and masses through that personalized media content.

Pointing out that an important problem in the media field is the fight against fake and false news and disinformation, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin said:

“The fast news production feature of AI emerges as the multiplier effect of this problem. We should not forget that we need to be on alert and careful against the publication of manipulative content especially in social media and internet journalism, and all perception operations whose effects are further increased by being strengthened through AI. With AI applications in the media field, it is determined whose voice is louder and which content is at the forefront. With AI technology, the speed at which fake news spread is much faster than before. While we used to say that the speed of spread of fake news was 6 times faster than the speed of truth, today fake news spread 60, maybe 600 times faster, let alone 6 times.”

RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin also stated that “The fact that fake news prevails over the truth and their growing waves spread through the press, of course, damages trust in the media. As RTÜK, we closely follow this dynamic relationship between media and technology and carry out our regulations at this speed. Our aim is to set high standards for society's access to information, the quality of media content and the protection of digital rights while regulating the interaction between media and AI. At this point, it is imperative that the issue of media literacy evolves into digital literacy. So, digital media literacy courses need to be prepared and taught to public in a way that includes AI."

Reminding us that RTÜK has an important collaboration with the Ministry of National Education on the issue of digital literacy, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin said that efforts are continuing on in a way to organize the course content that will include digital elements, which was previously taught as an elective course program under the name of media literacy.

Expressing that, as RTÜK they are happy to organize this event with the AIPA which carries out important activities worldwide, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin spoke about his belief that the information exchange on media and AI issues held in the summit would output beneficial results.

RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin expressed his gratitude to all of the participants, primarily to the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy who supported the summit that will provide them an opportunity to develop strategies which will shape the media world of the future, and to the Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, with whom RTÜK has carried out cooperations in many fields.

Following its opening speeches, International Media Summit in the Age of Artificial Intelligence continued to its second session moderated by RTÜK Vice President Deniz Güler under the title of "Media from Traditional to Digital: What happened? What will happen?"