In the foreword he wrote for the Turkish translation of Kazakhstan’s former Prime Minister Dr Karim Massimov’s book “The Next Master of the World: Artificial Intelligence”, which was published in Turkish following Russian and English, Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun said, “Digital platforms should take precautions against disinformation campaigns that have turned into a global security threat.”
Pointing out in the foreword that humans of the modern age were under digital siege, Altun said on the axis of big data, data scientists and data miners had the ability to influence and direct people through technological engagement and digital platforms using concepts and practices such as “persuading, consenting, manipulating, propaganda, brand communication, digital activism, marketing, eye tracking, neuromarketing”.
Noting that thanks to artificial intelligence, technology and software companies could process the data they acquired from the digital world as they wished, made sense of it and made predictions about the attitudes and behaviours of users, Altun said:
“Through artificial intelligence and algorithms, machine learning and deep analysis can be performed on people’s assets in the digital space, their digital identities, their habits of utilising new technologies, and their social media usage patterns and frequencies. These insights are used to shape user preferences in areas such as policy, military, industrial products, micro-targeting, marketing, advertising applications, and many others.
We intensely use artificial intelligence technologies in almost every field, and the global economic system has undergone a radical revision by getting affected by this technology in the 21st century. Artificial intelligence facilitates our daily life practices, increases productivity and creates new professions in all areas that concern human life, from production level to corporate structures, from health services to the retail sector, from education to unmanned aerial vehicles, from bio-engineering to robotics, from banking to logistics, from the justice system to sports.”
Stating that artificial intelligence, which was considered as one of the turning points of humanity, was evaluated together with big data, the internet of things, advanced algorithms, data analytics, cloud computing, quantum computing, blockchain technology and neuroscience, Altun said that the dizzying change that was experienced with digitalisation at the global level since the millennium would take place in the near future and stated that in the world’s 2050 projection, artificial intelligence technologies were expected to accelerate further.
“Precautions should be taken in the fight against disinformation campaigns”
Underlining that trust and social responsibility were two vital principles in artificial intelligence systems, Altun said, “Ultimate attention should be paid to the privacy of users in artificial intelligence systems, a human-centred development process should be followed, and the values of impartiality, accountability and transparency should never be compromised.”
Altun stated that there should be equality among all citizens, and action should be taken in line with the sustainable development goal.
Pointing out that artificial intelligence would also be used effectively in the fight against disinformation and manipulation on the axis of communication wars, Altun said:
"Digital platforms should take measures against disinformation campaigns that have developed into a security threat at the global level. Identification and mapping should be made by employing artificial intelligence, especially when the same images used previously in social networks are used to mislead the public opinion on different subjects, by paying attention to the conformity of the visual and text, and the publication and sharing of these contents should be prevented. In this way, it may be possible to minimise the risk of exposure to disinformation."
"A transparent communication strategy should be employed"
Pointing out that Massimov's work, in this context, sensitively focuses on which areas and at what level artificial intelligence will touch human life and to what extent it will affect the security and privacy of user data, as well as the freedom of decision-making of individuals, Altun said,
"The idea that artificial intelligence, which entered our lives in the second half of the 20th century, threatens the future of humanity is a kind of conspiracy theory in today's conditions. But as Massimov, a statesman, points out in the book, the uncontrolled advance of this technology will bring along severe problems. The issue that needs to be emphasised repeatedly is how and for what purpose artificial intelligence will be used and by which forces. In this context, it is emphasised in the book that there is a need for international cooperation and a legal framework for the advancement of artificial intelligence technology and against the possible risks related to it. Some risks brought by artificial intelligence should be analysed correctly, and the uncertainties created by this technology should be eliminated, and a transparent communication strategy should be employed by taking into account the confusion that may occur in the public opinion on a global scale."
Altun stated that certain segments of society associate artificial intelligence only with robots and robotic developments due to the effect created by Hollywood movies, and people believe that humanity's future is partially threatened.
Altun further remarked that Masimov's book altered incorrect and missing perceptions about artificial intelligence while also constructing intellectual infrastructure and presenting readers with current advancements. He went on to say that the book depicts how artificial intelligence has altered the established world order and what role it plays in people's preference mechanisms and processes.
Altun explained that the book begins with Kazakhstan's Founding President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, visiting Akkol, the country's first smart city as part of a pilot project, and sheds light on Kazakhstan's vision and practices in the field of artificial intelligence. Altun further stated that the book discusses artificial intelligence with specific examples in a wide range of domains from health services to virtual assistants, finance to smart cities, transportation to energy, as well as the issue in relation to global technology companies.
Altun also stated that the book delves into how artificial intelligence has become a source of contention on a global scale, as well as the issue of armament.
He continued by stating that Masimov is a notable political figure of the recent past and his thorough, comprehensible, and engaging book, which was also released in Turkish, would find a home among publications relating to artificial intelligence and would become a reference book, and emphasised that the chronological development process of artificial intelligence, its role and usefulness in life, as well as future projections in this area, would contribute to readers' functional knowledge.
Altun hoped that the book would inspire all target audiences, especially young people who are interested in artificial intelligence and wish to work in this technical field.