Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Meutya Hafid, emphasized the importance of utilizing both artificial intelligence and human intelligence to build an inclusive and just future. With a population of 270 million spread across 17,000 islands, Indonesia is poised to adopt this innovation while safeguarding its citizens from potential risks.
“Some professionals have already benefited from the presence of AI, and nearly two-thirds see AI more as a benefit than a threat,” said Minister Hafid in her remarks at the Information Resilience & Integrity Symposium themed Generative AI and Information Resilience in the Asia-Pacific: Actions and Adaptations, held at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Fisipol UGM), Thursday (Aug. 21).
Minister Hafid noted that unequal access to technology has slowed progress between urban and rural communities.
Currently, internet penetration in Indonesia’s urban areas stands at around 82 percent, while in rural areas it is only 62 percent.
“This is not just a statistic; it is the story of children in remote villages who still struggle to attend online classes, while their peers in major cities are already experiencing the use of AI tools,” she explained.
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has rapidly developed and is now applied across various sectors for multiple purposes.
However, its widespread use also presents new challenges for countries to manage, not only at the national but also the regional level.
This means that opportunities to utilize GenAI cannot be separated from its potential risks.
Therefore, emerging trends demand precise governance strategies that involve cross-stakeholder and cross-border collaboration.
UGM Vice-Rector for Education and Teaching, Professor Wening Udasmoro, acknowledged that various risks may arise from the use of AI technology.
Therefore, she emphasized the need for responses from multiple sides: policymakers through strict regulations, companies through a human-centered approach, society through education and digital literacy, and collaboration among all three.
Universities, including UGM, bear the responsibility not only to study such technologies but also to help guide communities in using them responsibly.
“It is not only about studying this kind of technology, but also about playing a role in guiding and assisting society in using it responsibly,” she stated.
Dr. Yose Rizal Damuri, Executive Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), highlighted both the opportunities and risks of GenAI in the Asia-Pacific region.
He explained that the current challenge lies not only in developing policies and regulations but also in establishing ethical standards for the growing use of generative AI.
“This is crucial because it will affect the lives of many people in the future. I hope this event not only broadens our understanding of generative AI and its impacts but also explores practical and cooperative strategies to promote welfare not only in Indonesia but also across the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.
The symposium, organized by CSIS through the Safer Internet Lab (SAIL) in collaboration with the Center for Digital Society (CfDS), served as an international forum for academic and policy discussions.
It was designed to discuss how the Asia-Pacific region can collectively respond to the wave of technological innovation while safeguarding integrity and resilience in the digital sphere.
Featuring 20 professional speakers, the symposium consisted of four parallel strategic dialogues and panels on financial fraud, surveillance and privacy, foreign information manipulation, and the impact of disinformation on democratic resilience.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna