Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Emphasises Ethics for AI Development in Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Wamendiktisaintek) Stella Christie has emphasised that the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in Indonesia must be based on ethical values.

On Thursday in Jakarta, Deputy Minister Stella asserted that in the context of AI ethics, human abstract thinking ability is the primary advantage that must not be lost in the AI era.

According to her, artificial intelligence relies heavily on vast amounts of data, whereas human capability has the advantage of deeply understanding concepts from limited experiences.

“Our ability to create abstractions and understand concepts from limited data is something that must not be lost. This must be preserved in education and daily life, as it is our advantage over AI,” she said.

Deputy Minister Stella stated that this makes the education system an important aspect for developing critical and conceptual thinking abilities, rather than just technical skills. According to her, AI did not emerge from immediate needs but from critical thinking in a mathematician’s question: “Can Machines Think?”

Through examples of technologies like GPS, which originated not from practical needs but from fundamental research, she encouraged interest among the younger generation in science as a long-term investment.

“Therefore, it is important for us to continue learning to think and contribute to new knowledge for the sake of humanity. This is the primary task of higher education,” she said.

At present, Stella continued, the use of AI still raises pros and cons in society. She described the positive and negative impacts of AI as two sides of the same coin.

AI has the potential to pose cybersecurity threats and generate inaccurate information, but on the other hand, it can serve as a tool for information verification and as a means to equalise access, particularly in the field of education.

Therefore, Stella Christie emphasised that AI development should be directed to meet Indonesia’s needs in catching up on delays, as a tool to solve complex data-based problems.