By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
The 4th International Strategic Communication Forum (Stratcom Summit' 24), organised by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, will take place in Istanbul on December 13-14 with the theme "AI in Communication: Trends, Traps, and Transition."
The Stratcom Summit'24, Türkiye's largest communication summit, will bring together the leading figures of international communication to deliberate on the transformations in the field of communication through artificial intelligence.
The forum, which will kick off with the opening speeches of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun, will be attended by Mİnister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, as well as ministers of information, communication, and media and heads of communication from numerous countries. At the forum, a video message from UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming will be presented to the participants.
At the forum, Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev, and Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs of Libya's Government of National Unity Walid Ammar Al-Lafi, Minister of Information of Lebanon Ziad Makary, Minister of Information and Telecommunications of Serbia Dejan Ristić, Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan Attaullah Tarar, Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy of Palestine Dr Abdul Razzaq Al-Natsheh, Minister of Communications and Media of Gabon Laurence Ndong, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the TRNC Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Marie-Doha Besancenot, Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Office Communications Head of Government Service International and MMU and Trade and Governance Emma Turner, and many other ministers and heads of communication institutions of various countries will speak at the panels.
With participation from 30 countries, over 3,000 guests will gather in Istanbul
The two-day program will comprehensively address the transformations brought about by artificial intelligence in the field of communication while examining the opportunities and challenges presented by new technologies.
The Stratcom Summit'24 will focus on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in communication and will cover a wide range of current issues such as public communication, new communication strategies, journalism, digital media and diplomacy, combating disinformation and crisis management, digital ethics, and cyber security.
The International Strategic Communication Forum will host 64 Turkish and foreign experts from 30 countries, representing the leading public institutions, private sector, non-governmental organisations, media outlets, academia, and think tanks.
Over 3,000 Turkish and foreign guests will attend the forum, which includes 8 panels, 4 speeches, and 6 one-on-one sessions.
Communication experts from a variety of sectors, including public institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, and think tanks, as well as academics and university students, are expected to attend the event.
On the first day of the event, “AI in National Strategy: Governmental Perspectives on Digital Transformation and Strategic Communication," ”Digital Transparency vs. Data Security: Finding the Balance," ”AI in International Strategic Communication: Collaboration and Regulation,” and ”Combatting Disinformation with AI: Tools and Strategies for Public Institutions” panels will be held.
Furthermore, three one-on-one sessions will be held on the same day. Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security, will speak on "Turkish Government's National Security Perspective in the AI Era"; Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, will speak on "AI and Strategic Development: A Vision for Azerbaijan's Future"; and Dr. Abed-Alrazzaq Natsheh, Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy of the State of Palestine, will speak on "Driving Digital Transformation: Insights from Palestine's Telecommunications Vision.".
On the second day of the Stratcom Summit, experts will share their views on ''AI in Crisis Communication: Real-Time Strategies for Public Safety'', ''AI-Driven Cybersecurity in Communication: Protecting Integrity and Trust'', ''AI’s Impact on Journalism: Balancing Accuracy, Objectivity, and the Threat of Deepfakes'', and ''Ethics in AI-Enabled Communication: Navigating Transparency and Accountability''.
Speeches and one-on-one sessions titled ''Deterrence and Defence in a Time of Information Threats: A Conversation'', ''The Role of AI in Transforming Neurotechnology'', ''A New Frontier in Artistic Technology'', ''AI in Diplomacy: Türkiye’s Strategy for a Tech-Driven Global Future'', ''Global Strategies for Effective Government Communication'', ''Innovation for Modernisation: Albania's State Digital Revolution'', ''The Role of Digital Diplomacy in the Peace Process'' will explore how artificial intelligence is shaping foreign policy and communication activities for states and international organisations.
The event area will feature booths from the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, TRT, AA, Press Advertisement Agency, Presidency of Defence Industries, TOBB, ITU, and Yıldız Technical University to engage with participants. In addition, participants will be offered AI experience areas designed specifically for the event.
"Stratcom 24will strengthen international cooperation"
Regarding the Summit, the Presidency's Head of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, remarked, ''When we decided to hold the Stratcom Summit in 2021, we hoped to create an international interaction atmosphere and a global platform for everyone working in or interested in strategic communication. We are delighted that Stratcom has become a global brand and the leading interaction hub over the past few years.''
Noting that Stratcom is Türkiye's largest and most inclusive international communication summit, with side events such as Hackathon, StratcomYouth, Disaster Communication, and Stratcom Academy organised under the same umbrella, Head of Communications Altun continued:
"We are proud to bring together ministers, communication professionals, and expert academics from around the world in İstanbul this year. The theme of this year's forum centres on one of the most notable advancements of our time: "Artificial Intelligence in Communication: Trends, Traps and Transition". ''We all recognise that artificial intelligence, along with emerging technologies, offer revolutionary opportunities in the sphere of communication. But this transition is not all positive. This transition also poses significant risks that must be considered. At Stratcom Summit'24, we will assess these opportunities and risks, discuss how we should develop artificial intelligence technologies to benefit humanity and plan our future together as humanity, with participants from all over the world joining us in İstanbul. I believe that Stratcom Summit'24, which we are hosting for the fourth consecutive time this year, will enhance international cooperation, promote information sharing, and serve as an important step in the implementation of solution-oriented approaches.''
