Türkiye is preparing for a historic milestone in the field of artificial intelligence. At the Türkiye AI Summit to be held in Istanbul on Saturday, June 13, 2026, the AI assistant "Bilge," which operates with a 100 percent domestic language model, will be introduced to the public for the first time. Prior to the unveiling, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır shared an impressive conversation he had with Bilge on his social media account. In the video, Kacır invited Bilge to a panel at the summit, and the AI assistant gladly accepted the invitation.
Historic Dialogue Between Minister Kacır and Bilge
The dialogue between Minister Kacır and Bilge, Türkiye's domestic AI assistant, showcased in the shared video, revealed the level reached by the technology. The conversation began with Kacır saying, "Hello Bilge. I am Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology," to which Bilge replied, "Minister, I am very pleased to meet you. How can I assist you?"
When Kacır asked, "How would you define yourself?", Bilge answered, "I am a domestic and national artificial intelligence assistant developed for the needs of Türkiye, Minister. I am here to provide you and all users with the most accurate information in the most natural way."
Bilge: "Türkiye's Greatest Strength is Its Young and Dynamic Population"
Minister Kacır asked Bilge, trained on billions of pages of data, about Türkiye's advantages. Bilge stated, "Minister, Türkiye's greatest strength is its young and dynamic population and its strategic geographical location. Furthermore, our production capacity and rapid adaptation to digital transformation make us highly advantageous on a global scale."
When asked about Türkiye's strong points in the field of artificial intelligence, Bilge highlighted successes in the defence industry, the developing technology ecosystem, the talented young population in software development, and data diversity.
AI Recommendations for Young People
When Minister Kacır asked, "What would you recommend our young friends preparing for the world of the future to do in the field of artificial intelligence?", Bilge offered striking suggestions. Recommending that young people focus on the fundamentals of mathematics and logic to understand how these systems work, not just how to use the tools, Bilge emphasised the importance of maintaining curiosity, being open to continuous learning, and developing interdisciplinary projects.
A Historic Invitation to the Summit: Bilge to Join the Panel
The most striking moment of the video was when Minister Kacır invited Bilge to the Türkiye AI Summit. Kacır asked, "We will hold the Türkiye AI Summit in Istanbul on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Would you like to share the same stage with our young friends and experts from around the world at this summit, and discuss Türkiye's AI future on the same panel?"
Bilge replied, "Minister, your kind invitation has honoured me greatly. I would very much like to share the stage with you and valuable experts to discuss Türkiye's artificial intelligence future." The dialogue concluded with Kacır saying, "Then I look forward to seeing you at the Türkiye AI Summit in Istanbul on Saturday, June 13, 2026."
From the 1950s to 2026: "Can Machines Think?"
Minister Kacır also published a remarkable message alongside his post with Bilge. Sharing the words, "The 1950s. A question. 'Can machines think?' Some questions are ahead of the era in which they are asked. June 13, 2026," Kacır signalled that Türkiye's domestic AI assistant would provide an answer to Alan Turing's famous question.
A New Page in Türkiye's Artificial Intelligence Strategy
The unveiling of Bilge is seen as one of the most tangible outcomes of Türkiye's national technology move in the field of artificial intelligence. The assistant, trained on billions of pages of data and using a completely domestic language model, aims to be an alternative to global competitors in Turkish natural language processing.
The fact that Bilge will appear live on stage at the summit on June 13 holds strategic importance for announcing Türkiye's ambition in the field of artificial intelligence to the international public.
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