Citing AI Advances, Prabowo Says Chess Champions Can Be Defeated by Machines

President Prabowo Subianto has stated that machines can now defeat chess champions amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence today. “Now even chess champions lose to machines, chess champions. Machines can now create extraordinary works,” Prabowo said at the closing of the National Discourse on the Science, Technology, and Industry Convention in Jakarta on Sunday (28/6). Prabowo noted that every country in the world is currently racing to master AI, and no nation wants to be left behind in this technology. The President urged academics not to fall behind the progress of the times and asked them to adapt to these developments. He also requested that professors delve into the current advancements in AI, stressing that Indonesia must not lag behind other countries in this field. “Now there is something called an AI Agent, there are already AI Agents. Reportedly, this AI Agent is an AI that works and creates for one person or one group, one corporation, one organisation, one country, and it is said there are now 5 million AI Agents,” he said. Nevertheless, Prabowo conveyed that today’s technological progress is not always positive. He reminded the audience that technological advancement is like a double-edged sword, containing both positive and negative aspects. “The inventors of AI themselves have already given a warning that AI could become troublesome for humans,” he stated. Despite the negative aspects, Prabowo noted that technological progress often facilitates the work of the government. He gave the example of being able to receive reports or aspirations from all corners of Indonesia simply through social media platforms like TikTok. Prabowo said that nowadays he frequently receives reports from children in remote areas of the country, which he then follows up on.