From the Industrial Revolution to Artificial Intelligence: Fire, iron, and intellect

Information Technology Specialist Aydın AKGÜN

When we look at human history, the birth of technology has always been intertwined with fire, iron, and war. The Industrial Revolution began with the roar of steam engines; factories, railways, cannons, and rifles… While technology opened the door to freedom on one hand, it offered more powerful tools of destruction on the other.

We, however, left our mark on this journey from much earlier times. In the lineage stretching from the Göktürks to the Seljuks, and from the Karakhanids to the Ottomans, our ancestors left deep traces in war technology, astronomy, and mathematics. The giant cannons used in the conquest of Istanbul, the observatories of Taqi al-Din, the medical and chemical studies of Akshamsaddin… These are contributions that are still not sufficiently known, yet are sources of pride.

This trajectory has never been interrupted in the 21st century. Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Aziz Sancar paved the way for cancer research and modern medicine by solving DNA repair mechanisms. Today, our young scientists are moving forward with the same fire: Canan Dağdeviren, who develops wearable sensors and flexible electronic devices at MIT; Şükrü Furkan Öztürk, who illuminated a 175-year-old mystery regarding the origins of life at Harvard; and many other young researchers are proudly carrying Turkey's scientific flag at the world's leading universities and laboratories. This is not just the legacy of our past; it is also the guarantee of our tomorrow.

When I think of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic, a deep sense of gratitude and admiration always awakens within me. As a commander who emerged from the battlefields, he was one of those who best understood how science and technology could lift a nation up. In 1924, he addressed teachers sincerely as follows:

“Gentlemen, for everything in the world, for material things, for spiritual things, for life, for success, the truest guide is science and technology. Seeking a guide outside of science and technology is negligence, ignorance, and heresy.”

Atatürk did not just say this; he practiced it personally. Railways, factories, aircraft production… When he said, “There can be no political independence without economic independence,” he saw very clearly that technology is the most important tool that makes a nation strong.

As someone deeply involved with technology, I was anticipating the point technology would reach, but I honestly never thought it would gain this much momentum. An apt quote from American author Thomas L. Friedman comes to mind: “Technology is now advancing at a speed that the average person cannot keep up with.”

SO WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW? WHERE CAN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE GO?

I believe this will be a much deeper transformation than the steam engine of the Industrial Revolution. It will not just make tasks easier; it will redefine creativity, decision-making, and perhaps even emotion. Wars may be fought in the cyber realm with drones. But the same technology could catch diseases early and save lives, produce solutions to the climate crisis, and personalize education to offer equal opportunities to every child.

As Atatürk said, science and technology are still the truest guides. As long as we use them for the benefit of humanity. Without losing our spirit that combines that ancient knowledge with power, the Republic's passion for science, and our own generation's excitement in front of the screen…

As technology advances, the real question is this: Will we, as humans, fall behind this speed, or will we guide it with our intellect and our conscience?

The Industrial Revolution began with fire and iron. Artificial Intelligence may perhaps continue with intellect. The important thing is not to separate that intellect from humanity.