In a conference held in London earlier this month, we have discussed the world’s future and the artificial intelligence. I gave the following answer to a question at this event organised by Huawei:
- What is the biggest impediment to artificial intelligence?
- Our own intelligence, of course. We adore our intelligence so deeply that we do not even value others’ intelligence, let alone the AI’s.
Apparently very impressed by my little comment, I received both a round of big applause and a big laugh. As I started to talk about far more serious matters, however, a deep silence prevailed. Governments’ and dominant conventional sectors’ “You will all be replaced by AI!” kind of approach is the biggest barrier to AI adoption today.
The reason why they are opting to take such approach is to ensure that funds are spent according to their desire, not spent as necessary or appropriate. Governments that are deadly set on spending funds on the biggest, the largest, the deepest, or the longest Mega Projects, instead of enhancing the fibre optic infrastructure, and the business people who are impatiently waiting to sign a contract with the government for the construction of one of these mega projects, are sadly sealing Turkey’s fate. Populism and nonsense politics have helped the government grow so drastically to the point that it has finally become a monster that devours everything yet its hunger cannot be satisfied. And the government along with this group of business executives are using the technology either to generate new revenues or control everything and everyone. Their aim is not to create value; they just want to do whatever they desire. Therefore, these groups of people I am talking about are those who invest in themselves, not in 5G.
“Those who are preventing the society from improving to obtain personal gains…”
These people do not obviously want the society have access to the blessings of an autonomous and anonymous world. Instead, they choose to offer “crazy projects” again with a conventional approach. Airports so large that they make people waste their time and energy, expensive toll bridges and tunnels, nonsensical projects that may potentially cause ecological disasters are all the outcomes of this populist-authoritarian mindset.
As those who say, “I know what’s best for you! You don’t need to think about any of this at all!” to the people are usually tend to win the popular vote, only digitalization can stop such policy which is created without even needing to ask the opinion of people about a decision that will impact the human lives, the nature and all creatures living in it. In short, the only power that is able to stop this populist policy controlling everyone and everything from Central Banks to Financial Institutions is the trio of digitalization, block chain and cryptocurrency.
The increasing digital technologies may save us from the inadequacy of institutions that are at the disposal of the government, not of the people. Therefore, our new Mega Project should not a project that is designed nothing but to destroy forests, to pollute water, to erect buildings, and to increase the demand for unskilled labour. We must promise young generation a future that will transform their energy and knowledge into value, not into rubbles and stones.
