Deputy Minister Reveals Two Crucial Aspects for Realising Sovereign National AI
Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Wamenkomdigi) Nezar Patria has revealed two crucial aspects that must be developed together for Indonesia to realise the growth of sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. According to him, AI development cannot rely solely on technology, but requires an ecosystem that includes human resources, computing infrastructure, and the semiconductor supply chain. “Between people and infrastructure, we need to do it simultaneously, in parallel,” Nezar said in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday. This message was also conveyed when he received an audience from GreatAs/Indonesia Chip Design Collaborative Center (ICDEC) at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs office in Central Jakarta some time ago.
Nezar argued that mastery of chips is now a strategic factor because it determines a country’s position in the AI industry as well as the global technology supply chain. Increasingly tight geopolitical competition has made countries race to secure advanced technology, semiconductors, and critical minerals that form the foundation of the AI industry. “Chips and semiconductors are truly strategic for countries wanting to enter this AI industry and the global AI supply chain,” he said.
Regarding capital, Nezar said Indonesia actually possesses several critical minerals that can be important assets in building a national AI industry. However, added value will not be created if the processing of these minerals still depends on other countries. Therefore, Indonesia must encourage collaboration that brings technology transfer and increases national capacity so that the development of the semiconductor industry can provide greater economic benefits. He noted that the entire AI supply chain is interconnected, making it impossible to build in isolation.
To optimise AI development in Indonesia, strengthening national capabilities alone is not enough. Nezar assessed that Indonesia’s AI development still requires cross-country cooperation, particularly in the Asian and ASEAN regions. ASEAN has strengths in the form of a large market, strategic resources, and social and cultural proximity that can serve as a foundation for forming a regional AI cluster. “If we want to build a sovereign AI, we cannot do it alone. Because everything is interconnected, linked,” he said.
Furthermore, Nezar said the Indonesian government continues to prepare for the next generation of technological developments and is not stopping at exploring AI. There will be more innovations, including quantum computing, which is expected to bring major changes across various sectors. As a regulator, the government needs to prepare risk mitigation measures for the development of new technologies so that digital transformation proceeds safely and benefits society.