Rapid AI Development Requires Indonesia to Build Technological Capacity
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting nations and societies to consider human readiness in facing technological shifts. While opening opportunities across various sectors, AI advancement also raises issues regarding access gaps, technological capacity, talent, and the ability of states to regulate its utilisation.
These issues were among the key discussions at the World Encounter Summit 2026, which brought together government leaders, youth, academics, religious figures, technology companies, and civil society from various countries in Bali. The forum series commenced with the Bali Harmony Dialogue at the United In Diversity (UID) Bali Campus, Kura Kura Bali Special Economic Zone, on Thursday (3/9/2026), followed by the XI International Scholas Chairs Congress 2026 from 4–6 September 2026.
Participants from five continents discussed the impact of AI on various aspects of life, ranging from education and the workforce to the mental health of the younger generation, democracy, and social relations. A primary concern raised in the forum was the disparity in AI development between nations. Not all countries possess equal access to data, computing power, digital infrastructure, talent, or the capacity to develop and regulate such technology.
The Chairman of the National Economic Council of Indonesia, Luhut B. Pandjaitan, stated that Indonesia needs to build its technological capacity independently so as not to remain merely a user of AI. “One way is through the development of AI supported by clean energy and STEM education,” Luhut noted in a press release received on Saturday (5/9/2026).
The Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, added that the high usage of AI by Indonesia’s younger generation must be accompanied by the strengthening of research, talent, infrastructure, and policy. “Usage alone does not automatically translate into national capacity,” said Meutya.
According to Meutya, this situation presents an opportunity for Indonesia to develop its own technology, ensuring the country does not merely serve as a market for AI products from other nations.
From a social perspective, the Executive Director of Scholas Occurrentes, Maria Paz Jurado, stated that discussions regarding AI need to look beyond the technological capabilities achievable by machines. She argued that the global community must also determine what kind of humanity they wish to build alongside technological progress. The equitable distribution of AI benefits, she continued, relates not only to technology but also to social, economic, moral, and environmental justice.
Consequently, the development of AI places not only technological capacity at the forefront of the issue but also human resource readiness and governance. For Indonesia, the strengthening of talent, education, infrastructure, research, and policy will be the determining factors for the nation’s position in the future of AI development.