Young People Urged to be Critical and Active in Facing AI Developments

The Chairman of the Democratic Party Faction of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) and Vice Chairman of the MPR RI, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono (Ibas), has urged young people to think critically and take an active role in facing the developments of AI, social media, and political dynamics in the digital era.

This message was delivered by Ibas while serving as the keynote speaker at the National Seminar titled “AI, TikTok, and Politics: Who Determines Indonesia’s Future?” held in Jakarta on Thursday (3/9/2026). The seminar was attended by students from various universities and several members of the Democratic Party Faction of the DPR RI.

During the dialogue, Ibas also warned of the dangers of ‘filter bubbles’ and the influence of social media algorithms on how society acquires information. According to him, algorithms study user behaviour based on what is watched, liked, skipped, shared, and even how long a piece of content is viewed. This condition causes users to receive information that increasingly aligns with their existing preferences.

“Sometimes we feel as though we are choosing the content. In reality, the algorithm is also choosing what we will see,” said Iba.

The issue becomes more serious when these mechanisms enter the political arena. According to Edhie Baskoro, algorithms can influence the information received by the public regarding the government, public policy, political candidates, and social issues. Therefore, he reminded students not to equate virality with truth.

“Viral does not mean true. Information can be shared millions of times, but it can still be incorrect,” he stated.

Ibas, an alumnus of Nanyang Technological University, assessed that digital democracy requires not only freedom of speech but also the freedom to think. “Democracy requires freedom of speech. However, in the digital era, we must also have the freedom to think, verify data, listen to various perspectives, and have the courage to admit that we might be wrong,” he remarked.

Ibas also noted that politicians should not close themselves off from the developments of social media, including TikTok. Politicians must be able to be present in various public communication spaces so that their ideas and political work can be known by the public. However, he warned that social media should not turn politics into a mere race to chase views, likes, and followers.