Indonesia calls on BRICS to advance AI adoption in education

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto has urged the BRICS economic bloc to pay closer attention to the importance and benefits of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the education sector.

He raised this issue during the 12th BRICS Education Ministers Meeting, held in early June in Brasília, Brazil.

“This is about creating more personalized learning experiences, improving teaching efficiency, and expanding access to educational services,” he said, as quoted in an official statement from his office in Jakarta on Sunday.

Yuliarto emphasized that Indonesia —home to the world's fourth-largest education system, with over 50 million students, 3.3 million teachers, and 430 thousand schools— considers the use of AI crucial for enhancing education quality.

The minister noted that this viewpoint had been translated into several national initiatives, including equipping schools with essential digital technologies and launching a digital application called Rumah Pendidikan (Educational House).

He described the app as a national platform designed to provide students, teachers, and schools with curated and personalized educational resources.

Moreover, Yuliarto stated that the Indonesian government aims to introduce AI- and coding-related subjects to thousands of schools across the country.

Turning to higher education, he reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to supporting the creation of a collaborative platform among BRICS member states.

“We believe that this initiative is essential to meeting the demands of an increasingly mobile and competitive global talent market,” he said.

Yuliarto also stressed the need for BRICS nations to work collectively to overcome barriers to digital development.

“Indonesia calls for international collaboration, particularly within BRICS, to share best practices and promote responsible governance in the use of AI in education,” he added.

During the meeting, Yuliarto and his counterparts from fellow BRICS countries agreed on the need for AI use to be guided by prudence, ethical considerations, inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and a human-centered approach.