AI use doubles in Türkiye, but lack of expertise remains key barrier

The share of individuals in Türkiye using generative artificial intelligence nearly doubled in a year, rising to 37.6% in 2026 from 19.2% in 2025, data released by the national statistics authority showed Friday.

The share of businesses using AI also increased, reaching 14%, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said, while a lack of expertise emerged as the biggest obstacle for companies considering adopting the technology.

In 2026, the share of women using AI stood at 38.1%, compared with 37.2% among men, the data showed. The highest adoption rate was recorded among people aged 16-24, at 64.9%. This was followed by those aged 25-34 at 55.7% and the 35-44 age group at 38.1%.

AI use also increased with educational attainment.

Among university graduates, the adoption rate reached 62.7%, compared with 45.4% among high school or vocational high school graduates, 35.5% among those with primary or lower-secondary education and 8.5% among primary school graduates.

Among individuals using AI, 86.4% said they used the technology for personal purposes. Professional use stood at 37.3%, while 32.6% reported using AI for formal education.

Professional use was higher among men, at 43.2%, compared with 31.2% among women. For education, the corresponding rates were 36.1% for women and 29.1% for men.

Business adoption booms

The share of enterprises using AI technologies has also risen sharply, from 2.7% in 2021 to 14% in 2026.

Adoption was highest among businesses with 250 or more employees, at 37.1%. The rate stood at 17% among enterprises with 50-249 employees and 12.8% among those employing 10-49 people.

By economic activity, the highest rate of AI use was recorded in telecommunications, programming and information technology activities, at 63.7%.

Publishing, broadcasting and content activities followed at 57.1%, while computer and communication equipment repair activities recorded an adoption rate of 32.4%.

Among enterprises using AI, 51% said they used the technology for marketing or sales activities.

AI use for research and development and innovation stood at 46.3%, while 43.4% used it in production or service processes.

Some 67.8% of AI-using enterprises relied on open-source AI software, while 49.1% used closed-source software.

The share of enterprises that had AI systems developed by external providers stood at 46.5%, compared with 32.1% that developed them using their own employees.

1 in 6 firms processes personal data

Some 16.6% of enterprises using AI said they processed personal data about individuals through the technology.

Such data included gender, age, occupation, educational status, address information, purchase records and facial images.

Meanwhile, 8.3% of enterprises that did not currently use AI said they were considering adopting it.

Among enterprises considering AI adoption but not yet using the technology, the biggest obstacle was a lack of relevant expertise, cited by 72.3%.

This was followed by legal uncertainty over who would be responsible for potential harm arising from AI use, at 66.4%, and concerns over data protection and privacy, at 65.4%.

DAILYSABAH