Daron Acemoğlu: The AI Opportunity for Turkey Lies in the Application Layer
Speaking at Istanbul Fintech Week 2026, Nobel laureate economist Daron Acemoğlu addressed the risks in artificial intelligence investments and evaluated strategies that developing countries should follow.
Nobel laureate economist Prof. Dr. Daron Acemoğlu drew attention to the future of artificial intelligence investments during his speech at Istanbul Fintech Week 2026, stating that the rightest strategy for Turkey is to take part in the application layer.
Artificial Intelligence Investments and Bubble Risk
Speaking at the event organized with the contributions of Bex Digital Wallet, Prof. Dr. Daron Acemoğlu drew attention to the massive size reached by investments directed at artificial intelligence. Acemoğlu stated that these investments could exceed $3 trillion by 2032, or otherwise, a serious artificial intelligence crash risk might emerge.
Worker-Friendly Artificial Intelligence Approach
In his evaluations, Acemoğlu emphasized that artificial intelligence should not be seen merely as an automation tool. He expressed that it is of critical importance for technology to be designed with a worker-friendly approach rather than substituting human labor.
Strategic Opportunity Area for Turkey
Stating that it is not possible for countries like Turkey to compete with global giants such as OpenAI or Anthropic at the foundational model layer, Acemoğlu noted that the real opportunity lies in the application layer built in a distributed and decentralized structure.