Ankara: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini have become indispensable in government and market operations worldwide, as countries and large tech firms are investing heavily in the technology.

According to Anadolu Agency, the billions of dollars invested in data centers, as well as the rapid rise in market valuations of AI firms, fuel concerns about an AI bubble. Gloria Shkurti Ozdemir, an AI researcher and faculty member at Azerbaijan's Hazar University, explained that previously, governments and academia led AI research and development efforts, but now, the private sector is at the helm. Ozdemir noted that the growing military and geopolitical importance of AI has created a self-sustaining cycle of technology that involves governments and businesses.

She emphasized that commercial and technological superiority competition among companies, along with countries' need to keep up in competition and security, is triggering new waves of research and development with public funding. Ozdemir highlighted that while an AI bubble is still on the table, a potential burst is unlikely to cause a systemic collapse and may instead result in a temporary slowdown rather than a complete halt.

Agah Tugrul Korucu, an AI expert and associate professor of IT, added that the AI bubble debate is fueled by data quality concerns, a cost-benefit balance, hallucinations, reliability issues, and a lack of mature engineering support. He stressed the importance of caution, especially in sectors like health care, finance, and law, where AI's definitive language might lead to incorrect information due to scattered or inconsistent data.

Korucu also pointed out that sustainability issues are fueling AI bubble discussions, and the industry is responding with smaller but specialized models to reduce costs and energy requirements. He believes AI will become as natural as electricity in our lives in the long term, enhancing labor productivity, improving quality, and reducing costs in industrial projects and robotic production lines. AI-powered systems allow experts to focus on more creative or strategic tasks instead of routine work, ensuring job safety and data-driven decision-making.