KoçGPT: Koç Holding’s Generative AI

Koç Holding and Koç Group companies are continuing to successfully integrate technology and digital tools into business processes as part of the Digital Transformation Program being undertaken to adapt to the dynamics created by rapid technological development and global competition. As part of our series “Digital Transformation at Koç”, in each issue, we’ll be presenting information about the digital transformation of a different Koç Group company. The first ‘guest’ in our series will be KoçGPT, an application developed and implemented by Koç Holding. 

Initiated in 2023, the KoçGPT program aims to raise the level of knowledge about Generative AI among Koç Group employees, encourage innovation, and increase the ability of Group companies to make effective use of this cutting-edge technology.

Not content with merely keeping a close eye on current developments, the Koç Group is gaining recognition for its pioneering projects, writing its own story of digital revolution with yet another first for Turkey. The KoçGPT application offers the advantages of Generative AI technology to all of the nearly 50,000 office workers within the Group’s corporate structure. By incorporating individual user-specific functions, the app can be tailored to meet specific corporate needs in terms of security, speed, capacity and, in particular, data analysis performance. Furthermore, KoçGPT’s ability to service different sectors through a single GPT model makes it the first of its kind in the world.

KoçGPT aims to integrate Generative AI into Business Processes

Globally, we’re witnessing countless developments in digital technology, and the Koç Group has been closely following these developments from the very start. Since the launching of Chat GPT in November of 2022, the Koç Group has carefully followed the rapid unveiling of updated versions. Beginning in March 2023, the Group intensified activities aimed at discovering the potential of this technology and evaluating how it could be employed. The KoçGPT program was created in conjunction with the Digital Transformation team. In line with its aims of making the most effective use of Generative AI technology to increase our work productivity, the Koç Group is conducting ongoing activities to introduce this technology to employees in all its work divisions, and to raise awareness and build capacity required for its use.

When Generative AI technology first emerged, a lack of clarity regarding corporate utilization scenarios raised concerns about data privacy and security. The process of identifying corporate scenarios was especially challenging in an environment where data sharing was implemented and models were trained by having other companies utilize data. For these reasons, the Koç Group proceeded cautiously in terms of which scenarios would be investigated using open data and monitored these elements throughout the development of the KoçGPT program.

Solutions that will transform the future of business processes

With the initial implementation of the KoçGPT program, a website was established that facilitated access of Group employees and allowed them the opportunity to gain experience using the technology. In addition to providing information about developments in Generative AI technology in Turkey and throughout the world, the website features training videos and a travel assistant available for use in helping to plan both business and vacation travel. The travel assistant also aims to help improve employee competencies in the use of AI-based assistants.

Group Employees Were Also Involved in Developing the App

As part of a ‘Boost Your Business Ideathon,’ a wide variety of operational scenarios were collected from all Koç Group employees. More than 600 different ideas were put forward during the Ideathon. These ideas were then categorized, with the most promising ideas carried forward for project development.

In addition to the ongoing development of projects designed to transform the future of Koç Group company business processes, a GenAI Excellence Centre was established under the auspices of KoçDigital in order to ensure sustainability of the KoçGPT program and to enable the development of dedicated solutions. The Centre is tasked with evaluating advances in Generative AI technology and transforming them into scalable solutions as well as identifying shared-use scenarios and incorporating them into the application.

KoçGPT offers Group employees personalized solutions and easy access through their own devices

Koç Group employees are now able to replace ChatGPT with KoçGPT, which they can access easily and directly through their own devices and which will offer them support in both their personal and professional lives. More than just a ‘digital assistant’, KoçGPT is a comprehensive program that will guarantee data security for the Koç Group while offering its employees a variety of programs designed to raise their awareness about Generative AI and provide incomparable benefits for business processes.

With the innovative solutions enabled by Generative AI technology, Koç Holding aims to maintain its competitive advantage and strengthen its position as a leader in the technology of the future.  In this way, Koç Holding aims not only to secure benefits for Group companies and catch up with the developments of the digital age, it also aims to contribute to the technological development of Turkey. KoçGPT represents an important milestone in the efforts towards this goal.

KoçGPT Technical Infrastructure Provided by Microsoft Azure Open AI Service

In order to bring Generative AI technology within reach of all our employees, KoçGPT, which was created with a concern for data security and data privacy, is being supported by the GPT-4 Turbo infrastructure integrated within the Microsoft Azure Open AI Service. Equipped as it is with modules developed specifically to address user needs, the app aims to strengthen internal communications while serving as an effective tool in operational processes.