Indonesia Prioritises Collaboration to Develop AI Industry - BCA Sekuritas

Indonesia is prioritising a collaborative approach to developing its artificial intelligence (AI) industry amid increasing global geopolitical rivalries. As major countries strengthen control over technology, Indonesia is adopting a stance that promotes a balance between the role of the state and cross-sector collaboration to build an open, inclusive, and competitive AI ecosystem. “On behalf of the government, we are always open to collaboration, not only relying on the government’s role but also encouraging all industrial sectors and stakeholders to work together in one ecosystem to build the AI industry so as to provide broad access,” Nezar said in his statement confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday. Nezar emphasised that this approach is Indonesia’s strategic choice amid the global trend towards state dominance over technology. According to Nezar, the approach currently taken by many countries is risky and ultimately creates a closed and unhealthy ecosystem for innovation. “If we look at the current global trend, including in the United States, there is a view that the state needs to take greater control over technology and technology companies. However, that is not the path Indonesia will choose because it has the potential to lead to what is called technological fascism,” he explained. Discussing the global geopolitical context, Nezar highlighted that the semiconductor industry has now become the main arena for influence struggles between countries. This shift marks a major change from the fossil energy era to the chip-based technology era. He said that major powers are currently trying to establish positions against each other in the chip war and control of semiconductor factories. In this condition, Indonesia has not yet entered the global supply chain of the AI and semiconductor industries. However, the potential it possesses is quite large and offers promising opportunities. “Indonesia has several important minerals, such as gold, cobalt, and nickel, which are used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. The challenge is how to process these minerals so that they are ready to become part of the components needed by the industry,” Nezar said.