Keywords: ai, deliberative polling, technology, social media

This paper explores public perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in Turkey, drawing on findings from a national deliberation involving a diverse sample of participants. Prior to the deliberation, Turkish participants were generally supportive of AI agents completing tasks autonomously to save time, but displayed more mixed opinions on AI’s role in personal relationships. While support for the proposal that AI agents should assist in relationships without the other person’s knowledge decreased slightly post-deliberation, transparency about AI involvement in conversations was preferred. Participants also favored AI that tailors responses to regional and cultural contexts, with significant support for personalized rather than standardized answers. Gender differences emerged, with men consistently offering higher levels of support for AI proposals related to personalization, transparency, and interaction, such as remembering past behaviors and proactively prompting users. These insights suggest that while Turkey shares broader global trends in AI perceptions, gender-specific preferences and the importance of transparency in AI-human interactions stand out as key factors shaping public opinion.