Prabowo to Deploy AI in Free Nutritious Meal Programme

The administration of Prabowo Subianto is reportedly set to utilise artificial intelligence for several key programmes, including the free nutritious meal (MBG) initiative. Reuters reported the development, citing a draft presidential regulation for AI adoption across ministries and regional governments from 2026 to 2029. The goal is to drive economic growth through the development, facilitation, and use of AI, particularly in the president’s priority programmes. The draft notes that AI adoption could increase Gross Domestic Product by 12 percent, or US$366 billion, by 2030. It also states the technology aims to make Indonesia more competitive in AI utilisation at both regional and global levels. Major global companies, including Meta, IBM, and Microsoft, were reportedly involved in drafting Indonesia’s national AI rules. In 2024, Microsoft announced a US$1.7 billion investment over several years to expand cloud and AI services in the country. According to Reuters, AI will be used for the MBG programme in various ways, ranging from designing region-specific menus and monitoring kitchen hygiene to predicting food demand and detecting irregularities, as well as integrating health data for early emergency warnings. The draft also notes that AI-based automation enables organisations to achieve extraordinary efficiency and reduce operational costs. AI technology will also be used to analyse health examinations in the domestic free screening and tuberculosis testing programmes. The draft regulation is awaiting Prabowo’s signature, though it is not yet known when it will be signed.