With the results of Türkiye's 2026 Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) released, applicants are focusing on placement in new programs centered on AI, cybersecurity, data science, aviation, automation, and digital transformation. Successful candidates will begin submitting preferences on Wednesday, July 29. Türkiye's Higher Education Council (YOK) announced that 81 new programs in AI and information technology have opened over the past three years, and this year added 16 more programs including history and AI, philosophy and AI, biotechnology and genetics, digital game technologies, and mobile security technologies. Zafer Kucuksabanoglu, president of the Artificial Intelligence Policies Association (AIPA), said AI is automating routine tasks and creating new professions, adding, "The real question is no longer whether AI will take our jobs, but who will have the skills to work alongside it." He advised students to build AI skills regardless of their chosen field, stating, "It's becoming a shared working space across every discipline." Mustafa Calis, president of the Turkish Software Developers Federation (TUYAFED), said AI is the topic applicants are most curious about this year, noting that new AI-focused undergraduate programs reflect the sector's growing influence on education.