Experts suggest AI regulations must prioritise digital talent development
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Digital Communication and Culture expert Firman Kurniawan believes that if the government prepares specific regulations for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the focus must be on the aspect of developing digital talent.
This is essential for building Indonesia’s independence in providing AI solutions created by its own citizens, thereby ensuring global competitiveness.
“Ultimately, specific regulations may be necessary, but the core objective is to ensure Indonesia does not merely become an AI market. Instead, those regulations should exist to enable the country to become a producer and innovator of AI products,” Firumn told ANTARA on Friday.
Prioritising the creation of digital talent to become AI innovators aligns with the digital transformation programme championed by the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi). Therefore, if the government intends to initiate regulations on AI usage, it is advisable that the digital talent aspect is prioritised.
This is particularly important given that there is a significant gap in AI utilisation capabilities in Indonesia between those able to use the most advanced models (frontier AI) and the general public, who use more basic AI models. This is reflected in a report by the Southeast Asia Policy Institute (Seappi) in collaboration with OpenAI, titled “Closing Indonesia’s AI Capability Gap,” which shows a vast difference between advanced AI users and lay users.
This indicates that, beyond various existing indicators, the majority of AI usage in Indonesia remains limited to general purposes or relatively simple tasks.
“So, the most important thing is digital talent, or the people (who operate the AI). If I am not mistaken, there is a gap in the targets. The requirement is around 12 million, but this has not yet been met; perhaps only about 30 per cent has been achieved. This achievement is still far off, so many parties must be involved, namely universities, communities, the government, and industry players themselves,” said Firman.
He noted that if industries are permitted to build data centres to support AI, the government’s AI regulations must not overlook environmental sustainability and the impact on communities near the development sites. According to him, when data centres are operational, they will consume significant resources, ranging from electricity to water; if development is not properly anticipated, there is a high possibility that resources previously sufficient for local communities will no longer be met.
Discussing Indonesia’s potential in AI utilisation, the policy research institute Seappi previously revealed in its latest report that Indonesia’s projected economic benefit from AI by 2030 could reach 366 billion USD (approximately IDR 5.8 quadrillion). The report was based on data regarding AI usage in Indonesia on OpenAI services, alongside Seappi’s surveys and field research.
Indonesia’s potential to reap economic benefits from AI could vanish if the country fails to address the capability gap in AI adoption within both the business and public service sectors.