An Overview of 2025
Technology and Artificial Intelligence Agenda
Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security
As of 2025, digitalization and artificial intelligence applications in the global financial sector have become one of the key transformation areas reshaping banking business models.
The European Union published the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act)30 on 1 August 2024 in order to clarify transparency, traceability, human oversight and cybersecurity requirements related to high-risk artificial intelligence applications in the financial sector. With full applicability scheduled for 2 August 2026, the regulation prohibits AI applications that pose unacceptable risks, while introducing obligations for high-risk AI systems including risk management, data governance, technical documentation, human oversight, transparency and conformity assessments. In addition, transparency provisions requiring users to be informed in certain use cases are defined. This framework requires banks to restructure their AI-driven processes from a governance and risk management perspective.
The geographical scope of the AI Act extends the impact of the regulation beyond the borders of the European Union. Under the regulation, non-EU companies that place AI systems or general-purpose AI (GPAI) models on the EU market, or that develop AI solutions whose outputs are used within the EU, are also directly within scope. Accordingly, AI systems developed in Türkiye that are accessible to users in the EU or whose outputs are used within the EU may also fall under the scope of the AI Act. This approach encourages companies operating in Türkiye and maintaining strong commercial and technological relations with the EU to develop early compliance strategies.
According to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 Report31 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the widespread use of artificial intelligence has led cyberattack techniques to become more sophisticated, automated and targeted. The report emphasizes that financial institutions are required to develop additional measures in areas such as data security, authentication mechanisms and operational resilience. In this context, the trade-offs between the speed, scalability and cost advantages provided by digitalization and artificial intelligence applications and the increasing cybersecurity risks require banks to balance their digital transformation investments with a comprehensive risk management approach that prioritizes data security.
30 EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act)
31 Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025, Insight Report, WEF