Legislator Reveals Civil Service Sectors Potentially Replaced by AI
The head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction in Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Muhammad Khozin, has responded to the potential for efficiency gains in the state civil apparatus (ASN) amid the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Khozin then outlined a number of civil service sectors that could be affected by the use of AI.
“The sectors most likely to be affected include: office administration and general affairs; document and archive management; chatbot-based information and complaint services; data verification and validation; preparation of routine reports; and statistical processing and basic data analysis,” Khozin told reporters on Tuesday (25/8/2026).
Khozin said AI has the potential to replace routine work. Nevertheless, he argued that civil service functions cannot simply be replaced because they still require public decision-making and empathy-based services.
“AI does have the potential to replace routine, administrative work, document processing, data verification and basic information services,” Khozin said.
“However, AI will struggle to replace civil service functions that require discretion, legal consideration, oversight, public decision-making, social mediation and services that require empathy,” he added.
He stressed that AI can serve as a tool to assist civil servants, but conclusions should not immediately be drawn about reducing personnel numbers. He cautioned about the need for a more adaptive approach to civil service management.
“The government needs to view AI as a tool to increase civil service productivity, not merely as an instrument for reducing staff. Therefore, policy should focus on reskilling and upskilling civil servants, strengthening digital literacy, and structuring civil service needs based on future competencies,” he said.
Khozin said reducing the number of civil servants is not the only solution for efficiency. He emphasised that bureaucratic processes within the civil service must also be evaluated so that public services can be improved.
“What needs to be made more efficient is not just the number of civil servants, but the bureaucratic process itself. AI should reduce repetitive administrative work so that civil servants can focus more on public services, oversight and resolving community problems,” he continued.
Previously, Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the House of Representatives Dede Yusuf highlighted the use of technological developments, including AI, in civil service performance. Dede raised the potential for efficiency in the number and performance of civil servants as a result of AI use.
Dede made the remarks during a working meeting with the National Institute of Public Administration (LAN) at the parliament building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (24/8/2026). Dede said the use of AI can make work more efficient that previously required several people.
“In the past we needed two or three people to make a presentation, now we don’t,” Dede said.
According to him, the development of digitalisation also needs to be accompanied by an evaluation of the need for civil servants in the regions. He cited the example of sub-district offices that currently can have dozens of employees.
“Yet as we know, with digitalisation and so on, perhaps it should not need to be dozens of people. Perhaps 15 to 20 people would be enough,” he said.
Dede questioned the government’s readiness to face these changes, including the possibility of reduced demand for civil servants due to the application of technology.
“So in this context, if we look at it, will our civil servants in the future become a mass product or will there be a reduction?” Dede said.