Beware of AI Misuse: Digital Literacy Becomes Increasingly Crucial
The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology brings many benefits to daily life. However, the same developments are also being exploited to facilitate various forms of digital crime, from spreading hoaxes and creating deepfake videos to increasingly difficult-to-recognise cyber fraud.
This situation makes digital literacy an important provision so that the public can utilise AI wisely while avoiding various threats in the digital space. The importance of this education was highlighted in a digital literacy programme entitled ‘Cek Sebelum Cekcok’ (Check Before You Clash), organised by the Master of Communication Science Programme at Paramadina University in cooperation with PT Pintu Kemana Saja (PINTU). The activity was attended by hundreds of residents of Bekasi City.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of PINTU, Timothius Martin, stated that the collaboration is part of the company’s commitment to improving public digital literacy to better prepare for various risks in the technological era.
Meanwhile, Chairun Nisa, a member of the Bekasi City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), said the need for digital literacy is increasingly important given the high level of internet usage in the community. She noted that Bekasi City has approximately 2.8 million residents, with around 2.2 million of them being internet users. Furthermore, people are now spending more time on social media, making them increasingly vulnerable to various modes of fraud and information manipulation.
On the same occasion, the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Civilisation at Paramadina University, Dr. Rini Sudarmanti, reminded the public to be more critical when receiving information on social media. According to her, AI advancements make manipulative content increasingly convincing, so it is not easy to distinguish from genuine information. She explained several characteristics of information to be wary of, such as exaggerated headlines, AI-generated photos or videos, unclear sources, and bombastic narratives that encourage people to immediately spread information without verification.
The Head of Public Communication Development for the Bekasi City Government, Dimas Aditya Nugraha, said the public’s ability to recognise hoaxes varies. Based on data he presented, around 7% of the public are very confident in hoax information they receive, 25% are confident, while 45% are still uncertain about whether the information is true or not. He therefore reminded people of the importance of the ‘saring sebelum sharing’ (filter before sharing) principle.
Meanwhile, AI usage in Indonesia is also increasing. According to the Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 by PwC Indonesia, 69% of Indonesian workers surveyed have utilised AI in their work over the past year to increase productivity.
Senior Product Marketing Specialist of PINTU, Reyner Jonathan, said the public needs to apply several simple steps to avoid becoming victims of AI-based fraud and other digital crimes. He advised the public not to easily trust information with unclear sources, not to panic when receiving suspicious messages, to always check the source of information or official numbers if someone claims to represent an institution, and to avoid clicking on random links that could lead to phishing. Reyner also noted that AI has many benefits if used appropriately, such as searching for recipes, comparing products before buying, helping create social media captions for business owners, and compiling simple bookkeeping to support business activities.