The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in Türkiye has seen a notable surge in recent years, according to new data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Wednesday.

In 2025, 7.5% of enterprises declared that they were using AI technologies, up from just 2.7% in 2021. Adoption rates varied depending on company size: 6.6% of small enterprises (10–49 employees), 9.6% of medium-sized firms (50–249 employees), and 24.1% of large enterprises (250+ employees) reported utilizing AI tools in their operations.

The highest levels of AI adoption were observed in the information and communication sector, where nearly half (47.1%) of enterprises reported use. This was followed by the finance and insurance sector (21.1%) and companies engaged in the repair of computers and communication equipment (15.2%).

Among businesses employing AI, marketing and sales emerged as the most common purpose, with 46.5% reporting its use in this area. This was closely followed by production and service processes (41.1%), research and development or innovation activities (41.0%), and business administration or management (40.0%). AI was also used for finance and accounting (33.7%), ICT security (22.6%), and logistics (13.6%).

Even among enterprises not currently using AI, 9% indicated plans to adopt the technology in the future. Larger firms showed greater interest, with 18.2% of those employing 250 or more people planning to use AI compared to 8.4% of small enterprises.

The biggest obstacle to adoption was a lack of expertise, cited by 74.2% of businesses. High costs (67.4%) and uncertainties over legal consequences (62.4%) were also significant concerns.

On the individual level, 19.2% of people in Türkiye reported using generative AI tools in 2025. Usage was highest among the 16–24 age group (39.4%), followed by those aged 25–34 (30.0%). AI adoption declined with age, with the lowest rate among individuals aged 65–74.

Education played a key role in adoption: 36.1% of higher education graduates reported using AI, compared to 22.8% of high school graduates and just 2.2% of primary school graduates.

Most individuals (79.7%) reported using AI for private purposes, while 33.8% used it for professional work and 31.4% for formal education. Men were more likely to use AI professionally (37.7% vs. 29.5% of women), while women used AI more frequently for education (36.6% vs. 26.7%).

Among those who do not use AI, the most common reason was simply not needing it (63.3%). Other reasons included lack of knowledge on how to use AI (18.7%), lack of awareness about its existence (12.4%), and concerns about privacy and safety (5.5%). (ILKHA)