Sinarmas Boss Responds to Indonesia's AI Ambitions to Rival DeepSeek

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Sinarmas will not attempt to replicate the success of AI models like DeepSeek. The company will instead focus on the purpose of the products it creates.

During a panel discussion at the XLSMART Bravo 500 Summit 2026, former Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan asked Sinarmas Group owner Franky Widjaja whether the company would produce a better version of DeepSeek or Gemini.

“Do you see a future or predict that your group might discover a better version of DeepSeek, a better version of Gemini 3, a better version of OpenAI?” Gita asked at the event in Jakarta on Thursday (11/6/2026).

Franky responded realistically, noting that Indonesia is behind in terms of time for AI development and talent.

“I am not underestimating Indonesia, but in terms of time, we are a bit late,” he explained.

Talent is crucial in the development of AI technology. However, the geniuses abroad all require significant support, both financially and from the government.

Sinarmas considers talent to be the company’s most important asset. These talents come from both local and global sources and can serve as mentors for Indonesia’s younger generation.

When asked about the use of global talent, Franky said it comes back to the business objective: what profit can be derived from the technology created.

“My goal is to look at my business. What profit can I extract from this technology? I am not here to create AI for the sake of AI. I don’t want to be another DeepSeek, and I don’t think I am capable. So, how can we profit from this?” he stated.

He further cited China as an example regarding AI development. The country is considered to lag in certain technologies due to restrictions imposed by the United States (US).

However, on the other hand, China’s application of technology is far more advanced, both in terms of the number of people involved and government support.

“I hope Indonesia can adopt that approach and reap the benefits rather than creating something specific,” he concluded.