Police Urged to Aggressively Debunk AI-Generated Hoax About Acid Attack Suspect on Activist Andrie Yunus

Jakarta — Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament has called upon the National Police (Polri) to aggressively counter and clarify misleading information regarding an artificially-generated image purporting to depict the suspected perpetrator of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus, an activist with the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS).

“I request that Polri, particularly its public relations division, actively counter and explain to the public each piece of inaccurate information that emerges,” said Habiburokhman, Chair of Commission III at the Indonesian Parliament building in Jakarta on Monday (16 March 2026).

Habiburokhman warned that the circulation of images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) technology poses a risk of confusing the public and obstructing the investigation process.

“I believe this AI could be dangerous if we allow it and even participate in spreading it, because it can confuse the public,” Habiburokhman stated.

Such circumstances could lead to misidentification of individuals who happen to resemble the circulating image.

Therefore, Habiburokhman emphasised that swift clarification from the police is critical to prevent the public from falling victim to false information.

“What concerns me is that it could even create public misunderstanding—there could be someone who looks similar and then gets beaten up by a mob,” Habiburokhman cautioned.

On the occasion, Habiburokhman praised public enthusiasm in wanting to help solve the case. However, he warned that this good intention should not inadvertently create new problems.

“We thank the public for their enthusiasm—their intention is certainly to help apprehend the perpetrator, and that intention is genuine with no other motive. Their intention is good, but they must be careful. We must not let good intentions become another problem,” he concluded.

An image displaying the face of the suspected perpetrator of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus went viral on social media. However, police stated that the image was produced using artificial intelligence technology and could obstruct the investigation process.

Roby Saputra, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Unit at the Central Jakarta Metro Police, stated that the image could obscure the actual identifying features of the perpetrator.