The History of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has been associated with great promises in the tech world for many years. However, the moments when promises turned into products and ideas into solutions were always limited. Today, the picture is different. Generative AI has transcended the boundaries of technology literature and transformed into a tool of transformation that changes the way organizations operate. At CBOT, we are implementing generative AI-based solutions with major organizations both in Turkey and abroad. In this article, we also address the most frequently asked question of the past two years: Why now? Why did this transformation begin today, not before 2022?

The Idea Existed, but Conditions Did Not

The idea of generative AI is not new. Its first experiments date back to the 1950s. However, for many years, this field was constrained by technical limitations, lack of data, and low computing power. The idea was strong, but the infrastructure was inadequate. At CBOT, we define this period as the “immature potential phase.” Behind today’s leap lies the intersection of the theoretical knowledge accumulated over the years and the technological capabilities that serve this knowledge.

Breakthrough in Technology: The Transformer Revolution

The paper “Attention is All You Need,” published in 2017 and introducing the transformer architecture, paved the way for generative AI. This development enabled more meaningful relationships between data and dramatically increased language modeling capacity. The large language models we use today are built on this architecture. At CBOT, our generative AI-based solutions are powered by strong and optimized models using this architecture. With our own natural language processing infrastructure, we customize these models for private sector and public institutions.

Infrastructure Ready, Data Accessible

Technological advancements have brought a major leap not only in algorithms but also in computing power and data access. With the development of cloud computing infrastructures, training large language models has reached a level accessible not only to tech giants but also to solution providers. By using this infrastructure, the solutions we develop at CBOT are fed with data from various sectors and tailored to organizations. We offer generative AI solutions that enhance the operational efficiency of the institutions we work with, especially in the public, banking, and retail sectors.

Organizations Ready: From Digitalization to Transformation

After the pandemic, digitalization gained momentum, but this process enabled not only the transformation of tools but also mindsets. Organizations are now on the verge of redesigning their business processes with AI, beyond merely having completed digitalization. As of 2022, the questions asked by organizations have changed: instead of “Where can we experiment with AI?” the prominent question has become “Which process should we rebuild with AI?” At CBOT, we develop solutions that bring together strategy, technology, and operations to manage this transformation. To ensure that generative AI is not limited to text generation, we offer integrated solutions for document processing, call center integration, summarization, and decision support systems.

Strategy Is Changing, Roles Are Being Redefined

Generative AI is not just a technical tool; it is a paradigm shift that redefines organizational roles, responsibilities, and ways of working. As of 2023, in the projects CBOT is involved in, many different functions — from human resources to marketing, from legal departments to customer services — are being restructured with generative AI applications. Organizations no longer treat this technology as an IT project but as a transformation program. This provides a strong contribution to the strategic vision of decision-makers.

Conclusion: Why Now? Because Everything Is Finally in Place

Generative AI has come to life through the meeting of a long-known idea with the right time. Behind today’s transformation are not only algorithms but also accessible data, suitable infrastructure, and determined organizations. At CBOT, we are positioned at this intersection, playing a role in transforming generative AI from idea to solution, from project to strategy. In the projects we carry out with Turkey’s largest institutions, we work to ensure that AI shapes not only today but also the future.
The answer is clear: Why now? Because the technology is ready, the organizations are ready, and CBOT is here.