Trkiye unveils 10 billion AI plan to train 100,000 specialists by 2030

Türkiye on Sunday unveiled a sweeping $10 billion Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, committing to train over 100,000 professionals and expand digital infrastructure as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seeks to position the country as a regional leader in AI by 2030 . The announcement, made during a high-profile summit in Istanbul, coincides with a stark warning from Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar that global tech conglomerates are leveraging artificial intelligence to impose “techno-capitalist dominance” that threatens national sovereignty .

Speaking at the Türkiye AI Summit, Bayraktar urged developing nations to adopt open-source systems and distributed architectures to safeguard digital independence, framing AI not merely as a tool for economic growth but as a battleground for preserving autonomy . The summit, which concluded on Saturday, also emphasized the cultural imperative of maintaining human identity amid rapid automation, with Bayraktar stressing that technological advancement must not come at the expense of societal values .

The $10 billion pledge, drawn from private-sector investment, will fund data infrastructure projects and workforce development initiatives aimed at closing the digital literacy gap across the country . Erdoğan’s plan sets a target of training 100,000 AI specialists by 2030, signaling a long-term strategy to reduce reliance on foreign technology and cultivate domestic expertise. The move follows months of policy coordination between government agencies and industry leaders, including Bayraktar’s Baykar, which has emerged as a key player in Türkiye’s push to integrate AI into defense, manufacturing, and public services.

Yet the launch of the national AI vision arrives amid growing concerns over the dual-use risks of artificial intelligence. A separate report published Sunday by Hungarian outlet HVG described an “unstoppable” AI-driven computer worm capable of adapting to its environment, raising alarms about the weaponization of autonomous cyber threats . Researchers demonstrated how such malware could evade detection by evolving in real time, underscoring the urgency of robust cybersecurity frameworks as Türkiye accelerates its AI deployment.

As the summit concluded, policymakers and technologists face a paradox: AI offers unprecedented opportunities for economic transformation, yet its unchecked expansion risks eroding sovereignty and amplifying asymmetrical threats. Bayraktar’s call for open-source alternatives and Erdoğan’s investment plan reflect a deliberate effort to balance innovation with control, positioning Türkiye at the nexus of geopolitical and technological competition.