During a coordination meeting on the evaluation of primary and secondary education policies on November 11, 2024, Gibran called on the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to move forward with introducing AI and coding as subjects in elementary and junior high schools.
He said that the two subjects are necessary to build quality human resources with relevant tech skills in the future, given the continual advances in technology.
"We need golden generations to achieve the Golden Indonesia (vision). We want more coding experts, AI experts, machine learning experts, and others," he highlighted at the meeting.
Meanwhile, in a written statement that was read out at the Indonesia AI Day event on November 14, Gibran also noted how AI can be used to preserve the nation's cultural wealth.
"We want to make technology not only a tool to achieve growth, but also a means to secure and preserve Indonesia's identity and rich cultural values as a nation that upholds Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity)," he said.
He emphasized the importance of preparing human resources to develop, manage, and utilize technology. He also affirmed the government's commitment to improving the readiness of human resources and creating an ecosystem that enables the younger generation to innovate, modify, and design technological developments.
The Indonesian Government has also welcomed investment interest from global IT companies, including Nvidia, for developing the AI ecosystem in Indonesia. The potential for AI technology development is deemed huge and strategic to support digital progress in Indonesia.
The Indonesia AI Day 2024 event, organized by telecommunications company Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), featured technology industry players who are focusing on AI. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was among the tech and AI industry players who attended the event.
Under the collaboration between Nvidia and Indosat, an AI development center is being set up at Solo Techno Park in Solo, Central Java, with an investment of USD200 million.
In February 2023, Solo Techno Park was re-inaugurated by the government as a creative public space supported by several technological development facilities.
The area is projected to be a tech hub for conducting research and technology and innovation development.
Inviting collaboration
During his state visit to the United States on November 12, 2024, President Prabowo Subianto discussed the importance of optimizing the use of AI with US President Joe Biden.
The two leaders also touched upon the connection between AI and sustainable growth during their bilateral meeting at the White House, Washington D.C.
During the meeting, Indonesia and the United States agreed that AI and other digital technologies should be optimized to enable sustainable development and bridge the digital divide.
President Prabowo and President Biden also underlined the urgent need to intensify capacity-building measures to ensure equitable access to safe and resilient AI.
During a meeting in Geneva on May 27, former communication and informatics minister Budi Arie Setiadi, who is now serving as Minister of Co-operatives in Prabowo's Red and White Cabinet, invited China to collaborate on AI investment.
He extended the invitation during a bilateral meeting with the Chinese Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Shan Zhongde.
During the meeting, Setiadi shed light on Indonesia's potential in AI development and investment in human resources as digital talents that are expected to encourage the emergence of other AI innovations.
The meeting also discussed the ways in which Indonesia can use AI to maximize the digital economy to become a developed country.
From a regulatory perspective, Indonesia is also starting to design clear regulations for the development of AI, and one of the efforts toward this has been the issuance of a code of ethics on the use of AI for industry players.
Setiadi said he believes that this scenario and potential will draw China's interest in supporting the development of Indonesia's digitalization through AI, especially in remote areas.
Developing human resources
Optimizing the use of AI cannot be separated from the aspect of training human resources. To that end, introducing AI in schools as an optional subject is an appropriate step.
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar earlier said that Indonesian students can explore their hidden talents by learning AI and coding. She, therefore, called on schools that plan to organize AI and coding classes to not unduly compel their students to take up the subjects.
"I hope that students who learn (AI and coding) learn them because they choose them, not because they are forced or do not have other choices," she said on November 13.
While expressing support for the plan, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid said that further discussions regarding the inclusion of AI and coding in school curriculums will involve relevant ministries and agencies.
The AI-related subjects will not be complex, but will aim to develop systematic thinking, computational thinking, and big-picture thinking skills in students.
Exploring the use of AI amid rapid technological advances is necessary so that the country can utilize it for the good of the nation and its people.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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