Selçuk Bayraktar warns unchecked tech race could lead humanity to 'terrible extinction'

Baykar chairman Selçuk Bayraktar told IAC 2026 in Antalya that if technology keeps advancing at this speed and with this ambition, a 'terrible extinction' awaits humanity, while also arguing that sovereignty ultimately requires a presence in space.

The Turkiye Times Editorial DeskOctober 09, 2026, 04:35 PMUpdated: October 09, 2026, 05:17 PM

Selçuk Bayraktar warns unchecked tech race could lead humanity to 'terrible extinction'

Selçuk Bayraktar, chairman of Baykar and of the T3 Foundation's board of trustees, spoke at the Public Day of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) in Antalya.

"To protect your presence, independence and sovereignty on land, you need to command the seas. To exist on land and sea, you need presence in the skies. And to exist on land, sea and sky, you must certainly have a presence in space," he said.

Baykar chairman Selçuk Bayraktar (archive)

Bayraktar said five of the six satellites of the self-funded Fergani initiative, founded in 2022, are already in orbit, with the sixth to launch soon. Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said about 10,000 participants from 111 countries attended the congress and that Türkiye aims to carry out its Moon mission in early 2027.

AI warning: "Is technology for humanity?"

On the same panel, Bayraktar raised a question about the age of artificial intelligence: "In the age of AI, we are talking about an invasion of machines and machine-humans. This is existential. The question of whether all these technologies are technology for technology's sake, technology for machines, or whether all of this is for humanity needs to be raised much more loudly."

Later in the panel, Bayraktar went further: "If we continue with this technological momentum, at this speed and with this ambition, a terrible extinction awaits all of us — humanity, our children and our generations."

Spotted an error in this story?Report it on WhatsApp

Share on all social platforms

Job Listings

Advertisements

Selçuk Bayraktar warns unchecked tech race could lead humanity to 'terrible extinction'

Stay Updated with The Turkiye Times

Job Listings

Peskov: Russia ready to fight for every fraction of Donetsk

Young people aged 12 to 18 assemble their own drones at TEKNOFEST in Şanlıurfa

STM is preparing the TOGAN-Mini drone for public and civilian use in 2027

Erdoğan hits back at opposition: ‘Look at your own dark record first’

Advertisements

Selçuk Bayraktar warns unchecked tech race could lead humanity to 'terrible extinction'

Stay Updated with The Turkiye Times

AI warning: "Is technology for humanity?"

Sponsored Ads

Featured Listings

Cool weather will continue across Türkiye as rain affects the east and south

ASELSAN can now produce thousands of TOLUN munitions a month, says Akyol

Five students wounded in knife attack at Istanbul school gate; 15-year-old detained

Minister Uraloğlu says Türkiye aims to expand rail network to 17,287 km by 2028

Peskov: Russia ready to fight for every fraction of Donetsk

Young people aged 12 to 18 assemble their own drones at TEKNOFEST in Şanlıurfa

STM is preparing the TOGAN-Mini drone for public and civilian use in 2027

Erdoğan hits back at opposition: ‘Look at your own dark record first’

Cool weather will continue across Türkiye as rain affects the east and south

ASELSAN can now produce thousands of TOLUN munitions a month, says Akyol

Five students wounded in knife attack at Istanbul school gate; 15-year-old detained

Minister Uraloğlu says Türkiye aims to expand rail network to 17,287 km by 2028