Indonesia calls for inclusive and equitable AI governance

Indonesia's Minister of Communications and Digital, Meutya Hafid, expressed the country’s  commitment to building inclusive and equitable artificial intelligence (AI) governance.  

"Our presence in this forum is not only to get a table in the global AI discussion, but to ensure that AI policies reflect the interests of developing countries," said Hafid.  

Hafid was speaking at the Ministerial Meeting of Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) Members and Interested Countries – as part of the AI Action Summit (AIAS) – in Paris, France, on February 9. 

The meeting was attended by, among others, the French President Emmanuele Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, French Digital Minister Clara Chappaz, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Uri, and communications and digital ministers from OECD members and partners.  

Hafid highlighted that global AI policies should not only reflect the interests of developed countries but also consider the readiness of these countries in the adoption of AI, so that every country can optimally benefit from the technology.

"AI is a transformative force in the global economy, but we must ensure that no country is left behind in this digital revolution."  

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AI for the public good 

Despite its advantages in improving service efficiency and optimising global supply chains, AI poses challenges including privacy, data security, cross-border data exchange, and potential misuse of technology, she noted.

To ensure pro-AI governance in developing countries, Minister Hafid said that Indonesia supports any global efforts to strengthen coordination in the development of AI for public interest and social welfare with the focus of achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). 

"Indonesia will continue to play an active role in global AI policy discussions to ensure safe, ethical, and inclusive AI for all," Hafid added. 

She said that the country is ready to take a strategic role to bridge the interests of developing and developed countries in global AI policy.

Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital has initiated various dialogues on AI policy in regional and international forums to discuss the potential and challenges of AI in e-commerce, banking, health, education, and sustainability sectors. 

Singapore’s Minister for Digital, Josephine Teo - who also spoke at the AI Action Summit - also highlighted the importance of global cooperations to champion AI for public good. 

Putting humans at the centre of innovation 

At a recent forum, Minister Hafid said that AI governance should put humans at the centre of innovation. By increasing efforts around AI training and research, the AI ecosystem in Indonesia will be more competitive.

She said that AI is not a threat, but an opportunity to advance human life. She cites the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s research on AI which will replace 85 million jobs by 2025, but at the same time create 97 million jobs in new fields such as AI development, data science, and human-AI collaboration.    

"This means that some are disappearing, but more are coming. This is an opportunity that we must take advantage of, especially by the younger generation," said Hafid in a press statement.  

She called on all stakeholders from the government, industry, and universities to collaborate to increase digital talents who master AI. 

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Laying the regulatory groundwork 

Hafid highlighted that AI has now become a global competition arena that forces developing countries to build a more independent and competitive digital ecosystem.

The opportunity to be part of the global AI ecosystem will be open if Indonesia has the right regulations. Collaboration between the government, industry, academia, and society is essential to create optimal policies for the use and development of AI. 

"The proactive involvement of all stakeholders in AI regulation and development is very important, so that Indonesia can utilise the potential of AI technology that can provide maximum benefits to society," she continued.  

The ministry is drafting a regulation on the use of AI that will be issued soon. In this new regulation, the government will provide more concrete guidance on the national AI strategy and ways to develop the AI ecosystem in Indonesia.

Currently, the only government regulation on AI in Indonesia is the Ministerial Circular Letter on AI Ethicsi, released in 2023, which provides guidelines for electronic system providers to mitigate the negative risk of AI technology.