Jakarta, INTI - The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving Indonesia’s civil servants, or Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN), to strengthen their digital capabilities while developing critical skills such as reasoning, communication, creativity, and decision-making. These capabilities are essential to ensure that AI is applied effectively and appropriately in public services.
The Surabaya City Government is among the local administrations taking steps to strengthen civil servant capabilities in response to the growing use of AI, particularly in supporting administrative tasks.
The role of AI in the public sector was discussed during the “Winning The City Competition in The Age of AI” seminar, held as part of Surabaya Marketing Week 2026 in Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
BKN Prepares 145,000 Civil Servants for the AI Era
The National Civil Service Agency (BKN) is preparing training programs and digital leadership capacity-building initiatives for 145,000 civil servants as government institutions adapt to changing work patterns in the AI era.
BKN emphasizes that bureaucratic transformation requires more than simply adopting new digital tools and technologies. It also requires civil servants to continuously develop their capabilities to work effectively alongside emerging technologies.
AI can help civil servants summarize documents, process information, prepare drafts, and identify patterns in data more efficiently.
The technology can also take over some repetitive administrative tasks, allowing civil servants to focus more on responsibilities that require reasoning, communication, creativity, problem-solving, and sound decision-making.
However, AI-generated outputs still require human oversight. Errors can occur when data is insufficient, context is misunderstood, or information produced by AI systems is not properly verified.
This is particularly important because government institutions manage a wide range of public data, including information related to population administration, healthcare, education, social assistance, and licensing services.
AI Adoption Must Be Safe and Responsible
The success of AI adoption in government should not be measured solely by how quickly tasks can be completed. Accuracy in decision-making, service accessibility, data security, and government accountability are equally important.
In 2026, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs completed discussions on a draft Presidential Regulation on Artificial Intelligence Ethics and the National Artificial Intelligence Roadmap for 2026–2029.
The framework is intended to ensure that AI development and adoption are carried out in an ethical, secure, and responsible manner.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into government operations, civil servants must remain capable of evaluating AI-generated outputs and taking responsibility for decisions made with the support of the technology.
The direction of civil servant competency development can be summed up in one key principle: competitive public servants are not those who use the most technology, but those who know how to use it most effectively and appropriately.
Conclusion
As AI continues to reshape public-sector operations, strengthening the capabilities of civil servants will be critical to ensuring technology delivers meaningful improvements in public services. By combining digital skills with human judgment, creativity, and accountability, Indonesia can build a more adaptive and responsible bureaucracy ready to navigate the AI era.
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