M. Kaan Özhelvacı
Chairman of the Board, EGİAD

Until recently, artificial intelligence was a technology most companies associated with the future. Today, it is moving to the centre of strategic decision-making, production processes, R&D activities and management practices. Faced with this shift, the question companies should be asking is no longer “Will we use AI?” but “How effectively, efficiently and strategically will we use it?”

Viewing AI merely as a tool for speeding up work or automating specific tasks understates the scope of this transformation. The real issue is how companies manage their data, draw meaning from it and translate the resulting insights into timely, sound decisions. The companies that distinguish themselves in the years ahead will be those that bring reliable data together with appropriate technology and strong management, rather than simply acquiring new tools.

Adoption is growing, expectations are changing

According to Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index Report, 88% of the organisations surveyed used AI in at least one business function in 2025. Generative AI, meanwhile, was used in at least one business function by 70% of organisations. Considered alongside the growth in global corporate AI investment, these figures show that the technology has moved beyond experimentation for businesses.

Wider adoption, however, does not automatically translate into success. Two companies with access to the same tools may achieve very different results. Data quality, clear objectives, employee capabilities and how effectively the technology is integrated into everyday workflows determine the difference. To understand its contribution to competitiveness, we must ask not only “Which AI tool are we using?” but also “Which problem are we solving, and how are we measuring the outcome?”

Data from Türkiye reveal both progress and room for further development. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the proportion of enterprises reporting AI use rose from 2.7% in 2021 to 7.5% in 2025. Among large enterprises with 250 or more employees, the figure reached 24.1%. These numbers show that AI is gaining traction in business, although adoption is progressing at different rates across company sizes.

The areas in which AI-using enterprises apply the technology are also revealing. TurkStat data show that 41.1% use AI in production or service processes, 41% in R&D and innovation activities, and 40% in business processes and management. AI is therefore beginning to establish a place in companies’ core operations as well as in customer-facing applications.

A transformation spanning production and management

For manufacturers, the value of data-driven transformation lies in its ability to connect processes. When production information, quality records, maintenance data, supply conditions and changes in demand remain disconnected, decisions are made using fragmented information. Companies that can bring these data together meaningfully are better placed to assess their operations and address problems earlier.

In the bakery and wider food industries, variability in raw material characteristics, consistent product quality, energy use and production planning are central to day-to-day management. Data analytics and AI can support decisions in all these areas. To achieve the expected benefits, however, companies must first establish what data they collect, how reliable those data are and which decisions they will help improve. Technology investment without a sound data foundation may fail to address a company’s actual needs.

The same approach applies to R&D and innovation. Systematic analysis of data can strengthen product development and help companies respond to changing customer demands. In management, the aim is to give decision-makers access to more comprehensive and timely information while retaining their responsibility for decisions.

We therefore cannot regard digital transformation simply as an investment in software. It reshapes people’s skills, management culture, production processes and decision-making mechanisms together. A company that does not develop its employees’ data literacy or connect new tools with existing ways of working will find it harder to generate lasting value from technology.

How should companies position themselves amid creative destruction?

The transformation we examine in EGİAD’s report, “İzmir in the Process of Creative Destruction – Redesigning the Labour Market through the Triple Transformation,” allows us to consider these changes within a broader economic framework. Joseph Schumpeter’s concept of “creative destruction” explains how economic development advances as existing structures give way to more innovative ones that generate greater value. Today, AI and data technologies are powerful drivers of this process.

As business models, production methods, the skills expected of employees and management decisions change simultaneously, keeping track of developments will no longer be enough. Companies need to anticipate the capabilities they will require, prepare their employees for change and determine how to adapt new technologies to their own operations. AI’s impact extends beyond enabling existing work to be done faster: it also prompts companies to rethink how that work should be done.

Leadership plays a decisive role in this process. Business leaders must go beyond deciding to acquire technology. They need to define its purpose, support their teams’ learning and monitor results. A data-driven management culture requires different departments to work towards shared goals and turn the knowledge they generate into decisions.

At EGİAD, we want our members to be leaders who actively manage and advance change within their own companies. We also see AI literacy and data literacy as essential capabilities for the business community in the years ahead. When technology is supported by people with the right skills and a sound strategy, companies can turn transformation into a tangible opportunity to strengthen their competitiveness.

AI has become a strategic issue shaping the future of companies, extending well beyond a choice of technology. Competitive advantage will belong to those who understand change and adapt it to create value within their own business models, going beyond simply keeping pace.