Türkiye E-Commerce Week explores AI future and major investments

The future of digital commerce is being charted at the Türkiye E-Commerce Week in Istanbul, where industry leaders are converging to discuss transformative technologies and significant investments. The "Future-Commerce" themed event, organized by the Trade Ministry and key sector associations, is serving as a platform to connect professionals, investors, and policymakers.

Major Investments Signal Confidence

A significant highlight was Uber's confirmation of its substantial investment plans for the Turkish market. Madhu Kannan, Uber's Chief Business Officer, revealed details of the company's $200 million technology hub planned for Istanbul over the next five years. He described this commitment as a direct indicator of confidence in Türkiye's technologically advanced production ecosystem and the developing talent of its youth. The company currently has approximately 45,000 registered taxis on its platform in the country.

AI's Role and Challenges in E-commerce

The potential and pitfalls of artificial intelligence took center stage in several sessions. Serhat Dolaz, head of the Payment and Electronic Money Institutions Association, addressed critical risk areas like fraud prevention and algorithmic bias while acknowledging AI's vast opportunities. He emphasized that fintech organizations have become indispensable catalysts for the shift from traditional commerce to e-commerce, enabling business at a speed impossible with conventional financial instruments.

Bridging the Global AI Gap

Discussions also focused on Türkiye's position in the global AI landscape. Zafer Kucuksabanoglu from the Artificial Intelligence Policies Association noted a strong domestic interest in AI but pointed out significant disparities between the AI discourse in developed nations and in Türkiye. He stressed the importance of such forums for placing AI on the national main agenda. An academic perspective from Istanbul Technical University clarified that current AI technology, rooted in statistical analysis and machine learning, operates differently from human intelligence, deriving relationships directly from data.