Minister highlights urgency of specific AI laws for Indonesia

“Indonesia, with 230 million people currently connected to the internet, feels the need to take a stance that Indonesia must have its own regulations regarding AI,” Meutya remarked at the BRAVO 500 Summit 2026 here on Thursday.

According to her, the governance framework is necessary to ensure that every AI innovation introduced in the country can be held legally accountable.

She cited a 2025 incident where the government had to block an application service known as World Apps for misusing public data by collecting biometric information.

“We were also surprised by the large number of people who flocked to provide data to receive incentives or payments by providing retinal data,” she revealed, noting that such incidents highlight the government’s crucial role in providing a clear legal framework.

Meutya revealed that the upcoming legal framework will prioritize 10 specific sectors designed to align with President Prabowo Subianto’s Astacita national development vision.

The targeted areas include food security, health, education, economics and finance, bureaucratic reform, political law and security, energy and the environment, housing, transportation and infrastructure, as well as arts and the creative economy.

She further explained that the ministry will only provide a broad umbrella regulation through an upcoming Presidential Regulation.

The ministry is currently drafting two main frameworks, including one concerning the ethics of AI development and another detailing the national AI development roadmap.

“We are not in a position to regulate the entire sector. What we have prepared is a broad umbrella regulation, and we welcome each sector to create derivative regulations depending on their respective interests,” Meutya added.

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Translator: Livia Kristianti, Yashinta Difa