AI, robotics driving labor shift similar to Industrial Revolution: Turkish president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the world is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by technology and artificial intelligence, describing it as “a transformation wave in labor similar to the Industrial Revolution,” and stressing that it must be properly understood and managed.

Speaking at the OECD 6th Skills Summit in Istanbul, Erdogan said jobs and production are rapidly changing, with new roles emerging and others disappearing, arguing that human capital will be key to future national success.

Highlighting the rapid rise of robotics and artificial intelligence, Erdogan said this shift brings both opportunities and concerns. “The global robotics market, currently around $100 billion, is projected to reach $25 trillion by 2050. In some countries, fully automated production facilities known as ‘dark factories’ are rapidly becoming widespread,” he said.

“Even looking at the reality of so-called ‘dark factories’ alone is enough to show that we are facing a transformation wave in labor similar to the Industrial Revolution," he added.

Erdogan also pointed to structural inequalities in many countries, noting that women, migrants, and disadvantaged students are often unable to fully realize their potential, calling this not only an economic loss but also a social one.

“No country that leaves a significant part of its human capital idle can embark on a truly strong development drive,” he added.

Erdogan said Türkiye has reduced informal employment from over 52% in the early 2000s to 24% in 2025, marking what he described as the country’s strongest labor market performance in 23 years.

He added that the “Century of Türkiye” vision is built on human capital and requires strong cooperation between the public sector, private sector, universities, unions, local governments, and civil society.

He said vocational education has been revitalized and more closely integrated with the business world through programs supporting youth skills. “Our goal is to bring 3 million young people into employment within the next three years.”

Erdogan also noted progress in women’s participation in the workforce, saying that in Türkiye female labor force participation rose from 27.9% to 34.7%, while women’s employment increased from 25.3% to 31.7%, and their share in public employment rose from 34.2% to 43.38% over the past 12 years.

He highlighted recent legal reforms extending maternity leave for working mothers to 24 weeks.

The president also emphasized OECD’s analytical capacity and its role in fostering international dialogue, calling it a key opportunity in a period of shifting global geopolitical and economic dynamics. Türkiye, he said, values the contribution of the OECD Istanbul Centre in this regard.