Zafer Küçükşabanoğlu, a technology entrepreneur and communicator, was born in May 1989 in Kastamonu. In April 2018, he established Turkey’s first and only Hologram Center. He became the founding president of the Artificial Intelligence Policies Association (AIPA), one of the first civil society organizations in Turkey focused on artificial intelligence, in February 2021. In September 2021, he founded RECRO AI and was elected as a member of the UNESCO Artificial Intelligence Monitoring Group in March 2021 and as a member of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Human Resources Working Group in August 2022.

In June 2023, he became a member of the Open Data Institute based in London, and in November 2023, he joined Chatham House, one of the world’s leading think tanks, continuing his work in the fields of artificial intelligence and international relations. Between 2010 and 2018, Küçükşabanoğlu held founding and managerial roles at Activa Organization, Artı 1 Group, ZM Technology, and Atlasjet.

He has served as the founding president of the Kastamonu Young Entrepreneurs Association (KASGEG) and as a member of the Executive Board and Chair of the Entrepreneurship Commission at the Turkish Young Businessmen Association (TÜGİAD). Additionally, he has been a member of the Beşiktaş JK Congress since May 2012. In November 2022, he gave a talk titled “Similarities and Differences Between the Industrial Revolution and the Web 3 Revolution” at TEDx, Turkey’s most prestigious motivational speaking organization. From October 2022 to January 2024, he hosted a technology program called “Teknolog” aired on TRT Haber TV.

Küçükşabanoğlu conducts studies and research on AI diplomacy, national AI strategies of states, and the societal impacts of artificial intelligence. He taught entrepreneurship courses at Marmara University from 2018 to 2019 and at Ufuk University from 2021 to 2022, and he has been a lecturer at Gazi University since 2023.

He has published two books: “The Özal Years in Turkey-US Relations” in September 2019 and “The Politics of Z” in January 2021. In April 2023, he contributed a chapter titled “The Politics of Artificial Intelligence” in the book “Power Shaping the Future: Artificial Intelligence,” and in November 2023, he wrote a section on “Artificial Intelligence in the New Power Strategy of the United Kingdom” in the book “The Technological Vision of Tomorrow.”

Küçükşabanoğlu has a published book chapter titled “Looking at Artificial Intelligence (AI) From Social Relations: Social Influence, Conformity and Bias” from CRC, one of the most prestigious publishing houses in the USA. He has also published articles titled “Artificial Intelligence in the New Power Strategy of the USA” in March 2023 and “Disinformation and Artificial Intelligence” in December 2023.

In July 2024, Küçükşabanoğlu introduced the concept of “AI Diplomacy,” combining his studies in artificial intelligence and international relations, and continues his work in the international diplomatic ecosystem. He has participated in major technology events such as Dubai GITEX, Barcelona MWC, London Tech Week, and The AI Summit London. Between April and August 2023, he conducted various research and studies on artificial intelligence in
London, the capital of the UK.

Küçükşabanoğlu has received numerous awards in various fields, has given over 100 conferences at universities, and has engaged with thousands of young people. He continues to share his thoughts on technology as a speaker on various television, radio channels, and online platforms.

He holds diplomas in International Trade and International Relations from Çankaya University and Ufuk University and is currently pursuing his doctoral studies. He speaks English fluently and has beginner-level proficiency in Russian.