“The key is not the technology, but the people. Human resources with empathy, creativity, and analytical thinking will not be replaced by AI,” she said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Christie pointed to several global phenomena showing how AI has begun playing a major role in the workforce and social life. One study found that AI-based responses such as those generated by ChatGPT were rated as more empathetic and accurate than human doctors in certain medical cases.
She noted that this should serve as a reminder that technology can surpass humans if people stop developing their values and capacities.
The deputy minister cited data from the World Economic Forum (WEF), which projects that by 2025, AI will create 97 million new jobs but eliminate 92 million existing ones, mostly due to automation.
Therefore, she stressed that improving competencies through continuous training such as upskilling and reskilling is an urgent need to adapt to current developments.
“If we cannot adapt, AI will become a disruptor. But if we manage it wisely, AI will become an enabler,” she stated.
Christie also outlined four main dimensions of AI that pose global challenges: threats to employment and economic inequality, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, declining information reliability due to hoaxes and disinformation, and the widening digital divide between nations and communities.
However, she said these challenges could be turned into opportunities if managed effectively.
According to her, AI can help create new jobs, enhance AI-based cybersecurity, strengthen fact-checking mechanisms, and improve equitable access to education and health care.
“AI is not our enemy. AI is a tool. If we can direct, regulate, and monitor it properly, then AI will strengthen our nation, not weaken it,” Stella Christie remarked.
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Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Katriana
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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