145,000 Indonesian Civil Servants to Receive Microsoft AI Training
The National Civil Service Agency (BKN) is collaborating with Microsoft Indonesia to provide training and strengthen digital leadership capacity for 145,000 Civil Servants (ASN) to face the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Head of BKN, Zudan, stated that bureaucratic transformation in the AI era is no longer a choice but a necessity that must be promptly addressed by all ASN. The development of AI will fundamentally change the way government works, especially since many administrative and routine tasks can now be performed automatically by technology.
According to him, the biggest investment the government must make now is building an ASN workforce ready for the AI era, enabling them to become the driving force of a professional, innovative, and data-based bureaucracy.
Zudan directed that future ASN must have an agile, digital, and AI-ready character. ASN are required not only to be able to use digital technology but also to possess an adaptive mindset, a high willingness to learn, and readiness to face rapid changes.
Future ASN competencies are no longer sufficient if they only rely on understanding regulations and administration. They must be strengthened with data literacy, AI literacy, critical thinking skills, complex problem-solving abilities, and a growth mindset to compete and provide the best services to the public.
“ASN must be able to transform from executors of administrative tasks into apparatuses with analytical and strategic capabilities that can produce solutions for various public issues,” he stated, quoted from a press release on Friday (12/6/2026).
Zudan emphasised that technology should be used to accelerate work processes, improve decision-making accuracy, and create services that are faster, easier, and more responsive.
BKN itself has implemented various AI-based innovations, such as the AI Chatbot BKN (Melinda), AI Proctoring in the CAT system, automatic classification of personnel documents, and automation of document verification and validation. These innovations are part of efforts to modernise ASN management and support the implementation of 12 Pro-Career ASN Policies.
“Ultimately, the goal of all this transformation is to present a modern, effective, and world-class bureaucracy, while also realising public services that make life easier, protect, and bring happiness to the community and ASN in the digital era,” he explained.
However, the success of digital transformation, according to him, is not solely determined by technology but primarily by the quality of human resources. Therefore, BKN continues to encourage the strengthening of ASN competencies through various capacity development programmes, including collaboration with Microsoft Indonesia and Binar Academy for AI training for ASN. This programme is part of BKN’s efforts as the civil service supervisory agency to accelerate government digital transformation. The strategic collaboration between BKN and Microsoft Indonesia was marked by the signing of a cooperation agreement on 28 April 2026.
The training, which runs from May to July 2026, has been enthusiastically received by ASN, with 12,551 participants already registered, targeting a total of 145,000 ASN. The training consists of six batches of AI for Public Impact and one batch of AI Policy Lab for Leaders. In addition to providing a basic understanding of AI, the training also introduces various practices for applying AI in policy formulation, information processing, work productivity enhancement, and public service innovation development. Meanwhile, participants in the AI Policy Lab for Leaders receive learning focused on governance, policy, and strategic direction for AI implementation within the government environment.