Jakarta, INTI - Deputy Minister of Creative Economy (Ekraf), Irene Umar, attended the launch of the “AI Economic Impact Report: Building the Future: Shaping Indonesia's AI Era” at the Google & YouTube forum for AI and the Creative Economy. This cross-sector forum brought together government, industry, academia, and communities to optimize the responsible and globally competitive use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Irene Umar said that AI is not a substitute for human creativity, but is a technology that can amplify it.
"What we need to prepare is talent capable of utilizing technology, understanding data, and producing globally competitive works. Indonesia must not only be a user of technology, but also a creator and player in the global market," said Irene during the event in Jakarta on Turday, July 23, 2026.
The AI Economic Impact Report, compiled by Google and Public First, notes that the use of AI technology has the potential to contribute up to Rp66 trillion annually to Indonesia's creative economy sector.
Furthermore, AI adoption is projected to create 1.8 million new professional creators by 2035 and unlock the potential for creative content exports of up to Rp6.7 trillion per year through AI-based content creation and localization technologies.
Creative Economy and AI Must be Developed Together
Irene highlighted that AI ecosystem development must be aligned with an increase in the quality of creative economy talent. To this end, the Ministry of Ekraf, in collaboration with Google, will introduce the Creative Technology Future Talents scholarship program.
This program will provide online training in Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Project Management, and Cybersecurity to strengthen the capacity of Indonesian creators, innovators, and technopreneurs in navigating digital transformation.
Through this initiative, creative economy players are encouraged to utilize data governance to formulate business strategies, increase production efficiency, and expand export market reach.
Irene emphasized that AI development must go hand in hand with the protection of creators through respect for intellectual property rights so that innovation and creativity can continue to grow sustainably.
Google is Committed to Collaborate with Ekraf
Google's Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Policy, Markham Erickson, expressed his appreciation for Indonesia's enormous potential, supported by its young demographic and high digital adoption rate. He also highlighted the continuously evolving creative ecosystem, which holds significant potential for developing an AI-based digital economy.
"We are committed to partnering with the Indonesian government in building an open, inclusive, and responsible AI ecosystem. When open technology meets Indonesian creativity, we believe that more opportunities can be created together for the community, businesses, and the creative economy sector," said Markham.
Irene emphasized that AI transformation requires investment in the foundations of talent development, data utilization, and data-driven decision-making. She noted that the economic impact of AI adoption cannot be achieved instantly and needs to be measured continuously to accurately map business opportunities, employment, and the resulting added value.
Conclusion
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, emphasized that AI should be positioned as a technology that supports human creativity in the development of Indonesia's creative economy. Google and Public First’s AI Economic Impact Report estimates that the use of AI has the potential to contribute economic value of up to Rp66 trillion per year to Indonesia's creative economy sector. To support this transformation, the ministry and Google will introduce the Creative Technology Future Talents scholarship program, which includes training in AI, data analysis, project management, and cybersecurity.
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