Jakarta, INTI - Digital communications and culture expert Firman Kurniawan said Indonesia’s future AI regulations should place greater emphasis on developing digital talent so the country can create its own AI innovations and compete globally.
Firman said strengthening human resources is essential to ensure Indonesia does not become merely a market for AI products developed overseas.
“Specific regulations may ultimately be necessary, but the key is to ensure Indonesia does not become just a market for AI. Regulation should instead help empower the country to become a producer and innovator of AI products,” Firman told journalists on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Developing AI talent is also considered important given Indonesia’s projected need for approximately 12 million digital workers by 2030.
Wide Gap in AI Capabilities
Firman highlighted a significant gap between people using the latest frontier AI models and those relying on AI primarily for general or basic tasks.
A report by the Southeast Asia Policy Institute (Seappi) and OpenAI, titled Closing Indonesia’s AI Capability Gap, found notable differences in AI usage between intensive and average users.
The report stated that the top 5% of Indonesia’s most intensive AI users use reasoning-token features in advanced AI models up to 11 times more frequently than average users.
The disparity suggests that AI adoption in Indonesia remains largely concentrated on general-purpose applications and relatively simple tasks.
“The most important factor is digital talent, the people operating and developing AI. If I’m not mistaken, there is still a gap in meeting the target. The need is around 12 million, but current supply remains insufficient, perhaps reaching only around 30%. There is still a significant gap, so it requires involvement from universities, communities, the government, and industry players,” Firman said.
AI Infrastructure Should Consider Environmental Sustainability
Beyond digital talent development, Firman said AI regulation should also address environmental sustainability in the development of supporting digital infrastructure.
He pointed to data centers as an example, noting that facilities supporting AI require substantial resources, particularly electricity and water.
These requirements, he said, need to be carefully considered to ensure that data center development does not reduce the availability of essential resources for communities living near these facilities.
“Indonesia should avoid a situation like what has happened in the United States, where communities have opposed data centers because they increase electricity and water costs. Residents end up paying more because they are competing for resources with data centers,” Firman said.
A previous Seappi report projected that the potential economic benefits Indonesia could gain from AI by 2030 could reach USD 366 billion, equivalent to approximately Rp5.8 quadrillion.
The report, based on AI usage data from OpenAI services as well as Seappi’s surveys and field research, also noted that the potential economic benefits could be reduced if gaps in AI adoption capabilities across businesses and public services remain unresolved.
Conclusion
Indonesia’s AI ambitions depend not only on regulation and infrastructure, but also on strong digital talent development. Closing the skills gap while ensuring sustainable AI infrastructure could help Indonesia strengthen its capacity to become an AI innovator rather than solely an AI market.
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