“We cannot reject technological progress, but we also must not lag behind artificial intelligence. Literacy must serve as the foundation so that technology is used critically and responsibly,” he said in a statement here on Tuesday.
According to him, technological development is inevitable, but it must not replace human thinking processes, whose foundations need to be strengthened through improved literacy.
Aziz noted that low literacy levels are not solely caused by a lack of reading interest, but also by limited access to reading materials that match readers’ needs and interests.
To address this, Perpusnas currently manages more than 9.7 million collection items, including books, magazines, maps, monographs, audiovisual materials, digital books, and national deposit collections as records of the nation’s knowledge.
Meanwhile, AI is also being utilized by the library to support efforts to preserve regional languages. With more than 700 regional languages in Indonesia, some of which are endangered, Perpusnas has been developing a technology-based regional language documentation program since 2021.
“Regional languages must not disappear suddenly. Linguistic data must be collected, recorded, and supported by technology so it can be passed on across generations,” he said.
Aziz stressed that strengthening literacy should not rely entirely on digital technology. Perpusnas continues to prioritize the provision of printed books, particularly for frontier, underdeveloped, and outermost (3T) regions.
“In many areas, there is no need yet to talk about applications or AI. Books remain the most effective literacy tool. When books are made available, children show extraordinary enthusiasm,” he said.
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Translator: Lintang, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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