Artificial intelligence has become ubiquitous in recent times. While robot acrobatics and AI applications that can engage in human-like dialogues are impressive, such applications cannot cater to every need in practice. This is because these systems are trained for specific scenarios.

Therefore, it is more beneficial to learn how AI works and explore how it can be applied to one's own profession rather than simply being amazed by it. AI also presents new opportunities for starting new businesses or finding new jobs. In this article, we will discuss the new professions created by AI for job seekers.

Automation, data analysis

AI technology enables employees to focus on more strategic and creative tasks by automating repetitive and routine tasks. This saves time and reduces costs.

By analyzing large datasets, AI can uncover patterns, trends and insights that humans might miss. This can help in making better decisions. All these changing solutions and habits are giving rise to new business models. Professions and business processes are changing.

Personalization, prediction

AI is at the heart of many innovative projects. It performs large-scale data analyses to make accurate predictions and provide personalized results. AI can analyze customer preferences and behaviors to deliver personalized experiences, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

AI can also be used to predict future trends and events. This enables businesses to make more proactive decisions and mitigate risks.

For all these reasons, AI technology can be used to develop innovative services, products and business models, which can provide a competitive advantage.

AI's cloud need

Whether or not an AI project requires cloud credit depends on the project's scale, complexity and the AI technologies used. Small-scale projects can usually be run on local computers or servers, while cloud computing can be an ideal solution for large-scale projects.

Large-scale AI projects often require significant amounts of data processing and computational power. For such projects, cloud computing can be an ideal solution as it provides scalability and flexibility. However, the cost of cloud services must also be considered. Some AI technologies are specifically designed to work in the cloud. In these cases, it may be necessary to use cloud credits.

Whether or not an AI project requires cloud credit depends on the project's specific requirements. It is important to carefully evaluate the project requirements and choose the most suitable solution.

High computing power

Operations like deep learning and big data analysis require high computing power. Cloud services offer powerful GPUs and CPUs that can handle such operations. They also provide scalable computing resources on demand, offering the flexibility to increase or decrease resources based on real-time needs.

AI applications often work on large datasets. For storing and managing this data, cloud solutions can be more cost-effective and scalable than on-premises data centers. Cloud providers ensure that data is securely stored and regularly backed up.

AI startup count reaches 350 in Q2

The burgeoning artificial intelligence technology solutions give rise to new startups every month.

Turkish AI Initiative (TRAI), which continues its efforts to increase corporate and social AI awareness and develop the ecosystem, has published a map of AI startups in its ecosystem.

The TRAI AI Startup Map reveals the size and development of new AI startups in Türkiye in recent years. It also provides useful information for investors, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the sector.

According to the map, the number of AI startups under the umbrella of TRAI reached 350 as of the second quarter of 2024.

Founded with 24 AI startups in 2017, TRAI is an initiative that raises awareness about artificial intelligence technologies and offers significant contributions to developing an ecosystem and cooperation in this field.

12 new startups

According to the data, 12 new startups were added to TRAI in the second quarter of 2024. The biggest increase was in the categories of generative AI, the Internet of Things and predictive and data analytics.

Generative AI

The map tracks startups in 12 categories, including Smart Platforms, Search Engines and Assistants, Chatbots and Conversational AI, Predictive and Data Analytics and the Internet of Things. The category that has seen the most startup increase in the last year is Generative AI.

The Generative AI category, which had five startups in March 2023, reached 22 in June 2024.

TRAI Director Can Sinemli said the map, published quarterly, is an important resource for private sector leaders and investors.

"Thanks to this map, investors can follow new potential startups, and it also serves as a valuable guide for companies looking for cooperation. Today, we are happy to be home to 350 AI startups. We believe this number will increase exponentially in the coming period and more investments will be made in this field."

The map reveals important information about the ecosystem. Namely, when looking at the areas most preferred by AI startups in Türkiye, the top three are computer vision (82 startups), predictive and data analytics (66 startups) and machine learning (55 startups).

Hiwell raises $3.5M in pre-Series A round

Hiwell, an online therapy and psychological counseling platform, has secured $3.5 million in funding at a valuation of $28.5 million in a pre-Series A round to support its rapid growth abroad.

The investment round was joined by Boğaziçi Ventures and Eksim Ventures, which led the previous round and made follow-up investments, and angel investors such as Dr. Hüseyin Başçiftçi, as well as Ünlü Portföy R&D GSYF and Kinesis Teknoloji Yatırımları.

Hiwell, which started its journey in Türkiye, is also showcasing strong growth in the European countries it serves.

Hiwell Founder and CEO Ali Ozan Özçiçek stated that their revenue from other countries is approaching their revenue from Türkiye. "After developing our product and model in Türkiye, we have also achieved product-market fit in European countries."

Serving 700,000 people in 8 countries

Founded in Turkey in 2019, Hiwell works with a mission to make therapy accessible to everyone and is committed to ethical principles. The platform provides therapy services in the native languages of over 700,000 people in 8 countries, including Türkiye, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain and Brazil. Collaborating with over 1,200 licensed and certified psychologists, it focuses on improving individuals' psychological well-being and quality of life by providing professional support tailored to their needs.

Ethical principles

Özçiçek explained the importance of ethics behind Hiwell's success.

"We are very meticulous in selecting competent psychologists who are committed to the ethical principles required by the service we provide and have completed their master's degrees. Our acceptance rate is only around 5%. We evaluate and eliminate psychologists not only based on their diplomas but also on their knowledge of ethical principles in the profession of therapy," he said.

Hiwell revolutionizes mental health care by seamlessly integrating traditional therapy methods with the convenience of technology. The innovative online platform empowers individuals to access the psychological support they need from the comfort of their own homes, regardless of geographical constraints. Hiwell's commitment to privacy and ethical principles ensures that clients receive the highest quality care in a secure and confidential environment.

Thanks to the flexibility offered by its online therapy model, Hiwell provided free psychological support and therapy services to over 400 victims affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck southeastern Türkiye in February 2023, contributing to their emotional and psychological recovery processes.

Türk Telekom's barrier-breaking projects receive int'l recognition

Türk Telekom continues to add value to Türkiye with its corporate social responsibility projects developed with the vision of transforming technology into goodness and benefit.

The pioneering Turkish telecommunications and technology company has received two awards at The International CSR Excellence Awards, a prestigious competition that evaluates corporate social responsibility projects around the world.

Türk Telekom's Günışığı project, developed to ensure equal participation in education for children with low vision, won the gold award in the Inclusive Education category. In addition, the Talking Pictures Digital Painting Exhibition, where world-famous painters' works were narrated for visually impaired individuals and exhibited at the Atatürk Cultural Center, was awarded the silver award in the Equal Opportunity category.

"We aim to provide equal opportunities in all areas of life, from health to education, art to sports, with our social responsibility projects carried out under the umbrella of 'Value to Türkiye,'" said Türk Telekom Corporate Communications Director Arif Sancaktaroğlu.

"The fact that our human-focused work has been recognized with international awards draws attention to the importance of our projects," Sancaktaroğlu said.

Leading Türkiye's digital transformation, Türk Telekom is seizing the opportunities of technology to improve all areas of life with the "Value to Türkiye" understanding.

The Günışığı project was implemented in 2014 as a unique example in the world. It provides early intervention education to children with 1% to 10% vision, teaching them how to use their visual abilities, thus enabling them to continue their education in the same schools as their peers.

Türk Telekom, which launched the Phone Library application in 2011 to provide audio content service for visually impaired individuals, brought together visitors with the digital exhibition created with the audio descriptions and interpretations of the works in the Talking Pictures section within this application at the Atatürk Cultural Center, of which it is the main sponsor.

It offered an accessible exhibition experience to all art lovers, especially visually impaired individuals, with the "Talking Pictures Digital Painting Exhibition" opened on Dec. 3, World Disability Day.

"We will continue to produce pioneering projects with our technology that improves the future understanding," said Sancaktaroğlu.