RTÜK Develops AI System Processing 19,200 Hours of Audio Daily for Media Monitoring

Turkey's Radio and Television Authority (RTÜK) unveiled a new artificial intelligence system called 'VIA+' during budget discussion sessions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the Planning and Budget Committee of the Grand National Assembly.

According to a presentation booklet distributed during the session, the system can convert more than 19,200 hours of audio content to written text daily, with video analysis capacity reaching 300 million frames per day and data processing power of approximately 12 terabytes.

The same booklet stated that RTÜK reviewed roughly 300,000 hours of radio and television broadcasts during 2025 and evaluated 29,142 reports and complaints. The authority claims that 'VIA+' will focus on monitoring 'negative content targeting women and all segments of society.'

However, the deployment of this technology raises serious questions given the current context: RTÜK continues to impose strict penalties on opposition media outlets, while journalists face arbitrary detention and certain media institutions are placed under state supervision. It remains unclear whether the new system will further tighten control over opposition media.