Jakarta, INTI - The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasing the complexity of digital fraud threats, as the technology is now capable of producing highly realistic fake content that is difficult to distinguish from genuine material.
Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria warned that the misuse of AI, particularly through deepfake technology, has emerged as a major ethical and cybersecurity challenge that requires serious attention.
“Today, our voices can be replicated, our facial images can be imitated, and they can appear in highly convincing AI-generated deepfake videos,” he stated during the Indonesia Ethical AI Summit in South Jakarta on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
According to Nezar, AI development is progressing at an extraordinary pace, moving beyond generative AI toward agentic AI and other advanced technologies capable of greater autonomy and decision-making.
While these innovations bring significant benefits across various industries, they also introduce new risks that require stronger governance and preventive measures.
Deepfakes and the Rise of Synthetic Reality
In the cybersecurity landscape, Nezar highlighted how cybercriminals are increasingly utilizing AI-powered deepfake technology to conduct digital scams and fraudulent activities.
He explained that AI manipulation has evolved into what is known as “synthetic reality,” making it increasingly difficult for the public to differentiate between authentic content and AI-generated fabrications.
“The public’s limited understanding of AI development has made many people vulnerable to deception. This is why digital scams have become increasingly widespread,” he emphasized.
Ethical AI Development Requires Human Oversight
Nezar also stressed the importance of applying the human-in-the-loop principle in the development of agentic AI systems that possess reasoning capabilities and can make decisions independently.
According to him, many experts have proposed stricter protocols to ensure that critical decisions remain under human supervision.
He further argued that AI ethics should no longer rely solely on voluntary commitments. Principles such as transparency, accountability, and safety must be embedded directly into AI products through an ethics-by-design approach.
“Transparency, accountability, and safety must be present throughout the implementation and development of AI products,” Nezar stated.
Therefore, he encouraged developers, industry players, academics, and AI communities to strengthen governance and risk mitigation from the earliest stages of AI development.
The Indonesia Ethical AI Summit serves as an important platform for stakeholders to formulate collective actions toward building an innovative, trustworthy, and responsible AI ecosystem in Indonesia.
Conclusion
As AI technologies continue to evolve, stronger ethical governance, human oversight, and risk mitigation are essential to ensure innovation remains safe, transparent, and beneficial for society while preventing the misuse of AI-driven deepfakes and digital scams.
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