This post was originally published on this site.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has begun to permeate all aspects of life, particularly with generative AI applications like ChatGPT. These applications have expanded into nearly every field, from education to health care, biotechnology to the defense industry, and from the financial sector to the service industry. For instance, generative AI technology powered by large language models, such as ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, has become an indispensable part of the lives of people of all ages who possess technological literacy. Humanity is now striving to coexist within a new technological ecosystem that competes with human intelligence itself.
With the emergence of the AI ecosystem, profound transformations are occurring across all domains. In this context, three potential effects of these transformations are becoming increasingly evident: the growing autonomy of AI systems and the decreasing ability to control them, the decline of individual autonomy alongside an increase in external control over individuals, and finally, the fundamental transformation of the labor market, leading to significant changes in skill sets required for job positions.
The most significant characteristic of AI technology is its increasing autonomy and ability to operate independently, gradually moving beyond human control. As autonomy grows, the capacity for human intervention weakens. This feature represents a novel aspect of AI-driven transformation, distinct from previous technological shifts. Consequently, we are faced with a challenging question: What will await humanity if AI technologies achieve full autonomy? As the scale of this threat expands, it increasingly becomes a matter of national security.
Another key characteristic is the increasing controllability of individuals as AI technologies become more widespread. Initially, developed models and algorithms were used solely for their intended purposes. In other words, each model operated in isolation. Even at this stage, significant bias issues emerged, producing outcomes that exacerbated inequalities. However, as the AI ecosystem has expanded, models have started to interact with one another. Now, the output of one model can serve as the input for another. For example, models used to assess credit applications initially relied solely on individuals’ credit history data. Over time, these models have begun integrating outputs from other models used for entirely different purposes, such as education and health care. As a result, the data generated by an individual in one context can now feed into multiple models, shaping decisions in various domains. Ultimately, factors such as socioeconomic status, neighborhood of residence, gender, race, religion and culture influence AI-driven decisions, effectively determining an individual’s fate. In other words, an individual’s past increasingly dictates their future, making it progressively harder for disadvantaged groups to break free from this destructive cycle.
Change in labor market
The most significant impact is being felt in the labor market. Initially, optimistic perspectives were adopted regarding AI, much like previous technological disruptions. In past technological shifts, the emergence of new job positions often compensated for those that were lost, leading to initial optimism about AI-driven transformations as well. However, this optimism is gradually fading, giving way to more pessimistic forecasts. The exponential advancement of AI technologies, along with their multi-purpose applications, is driving widespread automation, negatively impacting employment. At the same time, these developments are increasing the potential for AI to fill newly created job roles as well. Now, even white-collar professionals are facing a serious threat.
Therefore, the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem is driving significant changes in skill sets within labor markets. In this context, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025, fundamental skills expected from employees are projected to undergo major shifts between 2025 and 2030. The report highlights technological skills as a top priority, with AI and big data emerging as the fastest-growing competencies. In other words, the report anticipates a substantial increase in AI and big data skill expectations across all key industries, though at varying levels.
Competition and DeepSeek effect
Countries are making massive investments in AI technology to secure a leading position in the race. In particular, the intense competition between the U.S. and China in various fields has recently escalated in the realm of AI as well. Both nations are pouring vast budgets into AI development, aiming to become pioneers in the field and maximize its economic benefits. For instance, China is investing in AI across four key sectors – medicine, automotive, manufacturing and software – with the goal of generating an additional $600 billion in economic value by 2030. Examining AI-related patent filings also provides valuable insights into which countries are making significant progress in this competition. In 2021, the companies holding the most AI patents were IBM, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Baidu, Tencent and Huawei, indicating that the dominance in AI is largely concentrated between the U.S. and China. A similar push is evident in higher education. Leading universities around the world have recently made substantial investments in AI education and research, further fueling this global competition.
While ChatGPT continues to dominate the AI landscape, last week saw a major counterattack from the Chinese startup DeepSeek, shaking up the market. DeepSeek’s AI assistant is claimed to outperform its equivalents while being more cost-effective, a claim that has naturally disrupted the industry. The DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1 models have been praised by engineers from U.S. tech companies, with some noting that their performance is on par with the most advanced models from OpenAI and Meta. This has significantly increased demand, and in a surprising turn of events, the new application surpassed ChatGPT, becoming the most downloaded free app on the Apple App Store in the U.S. and the U.K. within a short time.
What makes this development even more intriguing is that DeepSeek achieved this success using lower-powered AI chips, despite U.S. efforts to restrict China’s access to high-powered AI chips due to national security concerns. This suggests that China’s AI sector is adapting to these restrictions more effectively than expected. As a result, U.S. stock markets, where the technology sector holds significant weight, experienced a sharp decline. Nvidia (NVDA), the leading supplier of AI chips, lost approximately $600 billion in market value, while its competitors – Marvell, Broadcom, Micron, and TSMC – also suffered substantial losses. Similarly, energy companies, which had seen their stock prices surge due to the massive electricity demand of AI data centers, were also caught in the downturn.
Despite DeepSeek’s success, questions remain about whether its lower cost claims are truly justified. Additionally, while it is noted that DeepSeek adheres to China’s official narrative, reports suggest that certain techniques can be used to bypass censorship. Moreover, discussions around whether DeepSeek poses a national security risk in terms of data security are gaining traction in various countries. While these concerns have primarily focused on China-based platforms, similar data security and privacy risks apply to AI platforms from other countries as well.
In summary, the competition in AI has entered a new phase with DeepSeek, challenging U.S. dominance in the field. This development has also “sparked hopes of a new wave of innovation in AI, which had appeared to be dominated by U.S. tech companies reliant on huge investments in microchips, datacentres and new power sources.” This optimism also applies to our country, TĂĽrkiye. It is crucial for the country not to remain a passive consumer of AI technologies but to position itself among the leading developers. Strengthening TĂĽrkiye’s presence in AI development is essential for its strategic ambitions and global competitiveness. In recent years, TĂĽrkiye has significantly increased its production capacity in high-tech industries, indicating a strong potential to advance in AI technology development as well. By leveraging this momentum, TĂĽrkiye can take a more active role in the AI ecosystem, shaping the future rather than merely adapting to it.