Beyond Coding: This Skill Will Be the Primary Asset for Workers in the AI Era
Human resource development in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in Indonesia is deemed insufficient if it focuses solely on technical abilities. Amidst the expanding use of AI in the workforce, critical thinking skills are becoming vital so that society can assess and evaluate the results produced by technology.
This was stated by Grab Indonesia CEO Neneng Goen/adi during a discussion regarding the readiness of Indonesian human resources to face AI developments. According to her, the generation entering the workforce in the last one to two years is relatively faster at adapting to AI because they have been accustomed to the technology since their education.
“In our industry, based on our experience, let’s talk about AI. Those who have entered the workforce in the last 1-2 years are, if I may say, already AI native in a way. They have learned and are familiar with it,” said Neneng while speaking at the High Level Talk FEKDI - IFSE in JICC, Jakarta, on Friday (25/9/2026).
However, the next challenge is ensuring that AI users are capable of understanding whether the analyses generated by the technology are correct and relevant. “AI is already replacing routine jobs and, especially with the emergence of agentic AI, providing analysis. The question is how the users can judge whether this analysis is correct or not,” said Neneng.
Therefore, she believes that critical thinking capabilities need to receive a larger portion of higher education. Students should not only be taught how to use AI but also how to question, verify, and evaluate the results provided by AI. “Critical thinking is very much needed in universities. It is very important to teach it,” she said.
On the other hand, further training in the industry is also required so that human resources can optimally use and analyse data interpretations by AI to ensure work results are more efficient and precise. “So it has to be trained, so that their way of working changes and becomes more efficient and sharper. Because everything is being analysed by AI, especially with agentic AI now being more robust. That is all from me,” she added.
Furthermore, Neneng stated that what is currently needed in the technology sector is not just human resources with coding competence, but also those capable of proficient AI prompting.
Similarly, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Stella Christie, expressed her hope that the quality of Indonesian human resources could become AI evaluators. This means humans can remain critical of AI developments and not blindly accept its use. “What we must create is a proper incentive system. The only way we can remain capable of evaluating AI is by being able to understand it through the thinking process,” Stella asserted.
According to Stella, the use of AI must be balanced with critical thinking so that Indonesia’s education system can advance. This vision is then realised through educational investment that supports critical thinking for both students and educators, alongside investment in fostering technological innovation within the educational sphere. “We must remember this so that we do not make the mistake of investing wrongly in our education. The ability to innovate, evaluate AI, and think critically is becoming even more important,” she emphasised.
Preparing Superior Technological Human Resources to Increase Productivity
Technology that can be utilised effectively, according to Bank Indonesia Governor Destry Damayanti, can be a powerful weapon to increase the productivity of human resources in Indonesia. Destry stated that technological innovation and AI, which are currently developing rapidly, must be utilised to boost productivity.
“The point is, with AI and tech, first, we must be able to utilise technology to help increase productivity,” she said. She noted that no matter how advanced technology becomes, if it is not utilised optimally, it will be in vain. Therefore, technological sophistication must be accompanied by an increase in human resource competence to utilise it effectively.
The Governor of Bank Indonesia views that Indonesia currently possesses not only a demographic bonus, where the population is dominated by the productive age, but this must be transformed into a ‘competency bonus’ so that the youth possess high-level skills. “We must transform the demographic bonus into a competency bonus so that young people have the necessary competence,” she said.
On the other hand, Yenny Wahid, who also participated in the discussion, emphasised the need to overcome several obstacles to maximise the acceleration of technology and AI utilisation. First is connectivity, ensuring that people in remote areas like Lubuk Luwu have the same internet access as those in Jakarta. Second is the ecosystem, ensuring that when human resources possess the ability, there is a channel for their creativity and skills. The final hurdle is building confidence in one’s own abilities. “We do not lack people who are technologically smart, but perhaps they do not understand how to use that technology for their needs,” said Yenny Wahid.