Government sorts global standards for AI regulation in Indonesia

Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA) - The Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry sorts several global standards related to artificial intelligence (AI) to support the development of regulations for this technology in Indonesia.

"Indonesia is trying to adopt all the regulations that are developing (to gauge) which one is most appropriate according to the Indonesian context," Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria remarked on the sidelines of the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) in Bali on Thursday (Nov 21).

He affirmed that the special regulations governing AI implemented in the US are carried out vertically or quite similar to those implemented in China.

The deputy minister noted that every state in the US has its own regulations on AI implementation.

Meanwhile, in the European Union, AI regulations are carried out horizontally, which set broad standards and apply to various AI applications and industries.

In addition to observing AI regulations that are set globally, Indonesia also continues to refer to the results of the Readiness Assessment Methodology on AI by UNESCO.

The assessment results open up opportunities for comprehensively developing the AI landscape and ecosystem in Indonesia.

He said that Indonesia is the first country in Southeast Asia to implement the results of the UNESCO assessment.

"We are the first country in ASEAN to receive the document from UNESCO. It (the document) is a kind of diagnostic tool to see the readiness of a country in adopting AI. Of the 60 countries that have adopted it, Indonesia is the first in ASEAN," Patria remarked.

He remarked that from the results of the UNESCO assessment, three aspects that need to be addressed in supporting the development of AI in Indonesia encompass strengthening digital connectivity, human resources in the digital sector, and a budget for research and innovation that is still limited.

Patria remarked that the three aspects are also the focus of the government to ensure that the potential of AI can be explored more widely, considering that its adoption in Indonesia is still not significant.

In his presentation, Patria said that AI is projected to contribute US$366 billion to Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2030.

Meanwhile, internet users in Indonesia have reached around 221.5 million, with a penetration rate of around 79.5 percent.

Moreover, as many as 26.7 million Indonesian workers are helped by AI, especially in the communication and information sector.

"Communication and information are among the few sectors supported by AI. This data indicates that Indonesia is a market that has not yet been touched by AI adoption," he remarked.