The discussion took place during a bilateral meeting between Indonesian Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria and Prof. Sang-Wook Yi, Head of the Ethics and Security Division of South Korea’s National Committee for AI Strategy, on the sidelines of the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday (June 26).
“Indonesia sees Korea as a key partner in digital transformation. Korea’s experience in integrating research, ethics, and the implementation of AI across various sectors is highly relevant to our national strategy,” Patria said in an official statement.
He emphasized the need to promote Asian values—such as mutual cooperation, respect for elders, and social harmony—in the development of AI models to ensure they are culturally rooted and locally relevant.
Prof. Sang-Wook Yi noted that South Korea allocates three percent of its GDP to AI development, significantly higher than the global average. As part of its long-term strategy, South Korea is also preparing a national AI textbook, expected to be completed by the end of the year, to build AI literacy from an early age.
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On the issue of education, both countries agreed on the importance of balancing AI learning with awareness of its ethical risks.
“According to the OECD, there is no strong empirical evidence that AI education directly improves student learning outcomes. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of AI’s impact in education is necessary,” said Prof. Yi, who is also a philosophy professor at Hanyang University.
Deputy Minister Patria responded by highlighting Indonesia’s efforts to promote AI and coding education among students, while also stressing the need to address the potential harms of AI through critical digital literacy. To support further collaboration, Prof. Yi was invited to visit Jakarta for direct dialogue with Indonesian policymakers.
The meeting also explored opportunities for joint research, university partnerships, and the development of AI ethics curricula tailored to local contexts.
Both parties acknowledged the ASEAN initiative to develop a regional Large Language Model (ASEAN LLM) as a collective strategic move for the region.
“Indonesia is committed to building an inclusive, ethical, and collaborative AI future. We hope today’s meeting marks the beginning of a long and meaningful partnership,” Patria concluded.
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Translator: Sri Dewi Larasati, Yashinta Difa
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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