Dr. Azhari, a lecturer of the Department of Computer Science and Electronics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FMIPA UGM), was inaugurated as a professor in intelligent multi-agent systems engineering on Thursday (Sep. 4) at the UGM Senate Hall.
In his inaugural address titled Collaborative Paradigm of Humans and Adaptive AI: Envisioning the Future of Intelligent Systems Engineering in the Hybrid Digital Ecosystem Era, Professor Azhari outlined the evolution of intelligent engineering for symbiotic interaction between humans and adaptive AI.
This collaboration, he argued, opens innovative opportunities in designing hybrid digital ecosystems, fostering resilience, ethics, and sustainability.
According to Professor Azhari, the evolution of intelligent digital platforms is rapidly advancing. The integration of humans and AI has become an essential and inevitable element of modern digital systems. Global society is now entering a new era in the evolution of the digital industry.
Technology is no longer merely a support tool; instead, its role has shifted to that of an adaptive partner making active contributions. Adaptive intelligent systems are capable of independent learning, adaptation, and autonomous responses to changing circumstances.
“AI agents do not merely react; they also make their own decisions based on defined objectives. The collaboration between humans and agentic AI is the cornerstone of future technology,” he said.
He further explained that collaboration between humans and technology fundamentally encompasses technical, social, and philosophical dimensions. These three aspects are closely interrelated in the practice of intelligent systems.
Through such collaboration, the role of humans must be re-examined not only as sole controllers of technology but as equal partners in shaping an inclusive and visionary future.
“We are entering a historic phase where digital systems are no longer merely human tools but intelligent entities that live, learn, and adapt alongside us. This is the era of technological singularity, no longer science fiction, but a real challenge in intelligent systems engineering,” the new professor remarked.
Discussing the paradigm of agentic AI within the hyper-hybrid ecosystem, Professor Azhari emphasized that intelligent systems engineering continues to transition from conventional AI agents to adaptive agentic systems.
In response to the need for higher adaptability, a new approach known as the Agentic AI Systems Paradigm has emerged. This paradigm allows AI agents to think, learn, and act autonomously.
“Each AI agent within adaptive agentic systems can reset objectives, form new intentions, and reassess strategies as contexts shift. This approach integrates principles of distributed cognition and self-reflective behavior. Such an autonomous agentic paradigm enables AI agents not only to interact but also to evolve,” he added.
In closing, Professor Azhari stressed that in the context of extreme intelligent systems, cross-disciplinary collaboration is imperative and cannot be delayed or subordinated.
When AI autonomous decision-making directly intersects with social life, every aspect of software engineering becomes a binding social and ethical act.
“Each actor is not merely a functional partner but a co-curator of values, responsibilities, and sustainability in adaptive digital systems. Validity alone cannot serve as the sole measure of success, as every decision-making process must be auditable and correctable by humans together with AI within a framework of collective ethics,” he concluded.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya