TOBB ETÜ Economics and AI Engineering Departments Host Aykut Erdem in Joint Seminar Series

The new Joint Seminar Series, organized by the Departments of Economics and Artificial Intelligence Engineering at TOBB University of Economics and Technology, launched on July 17, 2025, with a talk by one of Turkey’s leading AI researchers, Assoc. Prof. Aykut Erdem.

In his presentation titled “The Story of Three Models: GANs, Diffusion Models, and Large Language Models,” Erdem offered an engaging journey through key developments in generative AI over the past decade. Focusing on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Diffusion Models, and Large Language Models (LLMs), he discussed how these approaches have transformed our capacity to generate, interpret, and manipulate visual data. He also showcased recent work on multimodal models that combine visual and linguistic information, supported by striking visual examples.

Reflecting the innovative educational vision of both departments, the seminar attracted strong interest from faculty and students alike. Following the talk, an interdisciplinary discussion emerged on the use of AI in economics, data-driven policy design, behavioral economics, and the transformation of labor markets.

This event made visible a new generation of economics education deeply integrated with technology and provided students with an inspiring platform for academic engagement.