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Akbar Novruz

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Artificial intelligence is redefining the global economic and technological landscape. Nations are racing to harness their benefits while navigating the challenges they bring. Azerbaijan, with its growing digital ambitions, stands at a critical crossroads in shaping its AI future.

In this context, Etibar Aliyev, a leading expert in artificial intelligence who currently heads advanced AI teams at Turing, spoke to Azernews. With a strong track record in deploying large language models, optimizing machine learning systems, and advising on ethical and accountable AI, Aliyev brings a nuanced perspective on where the technology is heading—and how Azerbaijan can lead rather than follow.

Here is the interview that covers major questions, especially AI's gaining dominance in labour market and its severe impact on industries.

- How do you see AI transforming the labour market in the next decade? Will it create more jobs than it displaces?

AI will fundamentally reshape the labor market by automating ordinary cognitive and physical tasks, particularly clerical work and basic data processing. While this automation initially disrupts jobs, historical trends from similar revolutionary technologies indicate that more jobs will eventually be created. This fact in itself necessitates strategic investment in reskilling and lifelong learning programs. New job categories are expected to emerge, including AI auditors, prompt engineers, and AI safety specialists. The key to achieving a net positive outcome will be proactive policy and education frameworks that enable easy change in the workforce.

- In your view, what distinguishes “narrow AI” from “general AI,” and how close are we to achieving the latter?

Narrow AI systems are designed to perform specific, well-defined tasks in tightly controlled environments, such as fraud detection or facial recognition. In contrast, general AI (AGI) would demonstrate flexible reasoning across a wide range of activities, adjusting swiftly without explicit retraining and displaying human-like context awareness and causal reasoning. Despite significant advancements in models such as Gemini and GPT-3o, today's top systems are still limited in capability. Achieving AGI is expected to necessitate considerable advances in areas such as causal inference, continuous reinforcement learning, and truly generalizable reasoning. I believe we are still at least a decade away from creating truly general AI.

- What industries do you think will be most disrupted by AI in the next five years?

Industries likely to see major changes include healthcare and life sciences, where AI will speed up research with better diagnostics and treatments; finance, especially in managing risks, following rules, and trading with algorithms; manufacturing and logistics, through better maintenance predictions and improved supply chains; media and creative fields with AI-generated content and tailored experiences; and cybersecurity, where AI will increase threats but also improve defenses. Each of these sectors will experience transformative impacts, fundamentally reshaping business models, operational efficiencies, and competitive landscapes, requiring organizations to swiftly adapt their workforce, adopt new governance structures, and integrate advanced AI technologies to remain competitive.

- In your opinion, what should be the core pillars of Azerbaijan’s national AI strategy?

Azerbaijan’s national AI strategy should prioritize five core pillars: First, talent development through dedicated AI education programs and reskilling initiatives; second, building robust national compute and data infrastructure to ensure sovereignty and reduce external dependencies; third, establishing strong ethical frameworks and regulatory oversight for responsible AI use; fourth, encouraging industry-academia collaboration through applied research and innovation clusters; and fifth, actively engaging with international AI communities and leveraging diaspora networks for investment, knowledge transfer, and collaboration.

- How can universities in Azerbaijan better integrate AI research and real-world applications into their curriculum?

Azerbaijani universities should adopt a practical, industry-integrated approach. The plan includes introducing problem-focused curricula through industry-partnered capstone projects, creating interdisciplinary courses that blend AI with fields such as energy, healthcare, and logistics, and developing living lab environments where students test AI solutions on real-world challenges. Expanding internship programs and dual-advisor Ph.D. programs, combining academic research with industry placements, would further bridge theory and practice. Additionally, organizing nationwide data science competitions and providing easy access to computational resources would foster a vibrant, hands-on AI culture.

- Which sectors in Azerbaijan (e.g., oil & gas, agriculture, logistics, tourism) could benefit most from AI-driven transformation?

Several Azerbaijani sectors stand to gain significantly from AI adoption. The oil and gas sector can leverage AI for enhanced exploration efficiency, predictive maintenance, and environmental monitoring. Agriculture will benefit greatly from precision farming technologies and yield prediction models, significantly increasing productivity and sustainability. Logistics can use AI for optimized transportation routes along critical trade corridors that can reduce costs and improve throughput. Tourism and cultural heritage sectors can attract more visitors through personalized recommendations, immersive multilingual guides, and augmented reality experiences, directly boosting economic value. Lastly, financial services can utilize AI for streamlined compliance processes, improved risk management, and enhanced customer experiences.