Jakarta, INTI — PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk (GOTO), Indonesia’s largest digital company, has developed an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system called Sahabat-AI. This AI is specially designed to understand Indonesia’s unique local languages and culture, helping to improve many digital services and provide greater benefits to Indonesian users.
Development and Collaboration
Sahabat-AI is built using a type of AI technology known as a large language model (LLM). It was created through a partnership between GOTO and the telecommunications company PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Tbk (ISAT). The AI was first launched in November 2024 with a smaller scale, but it has quickly grown in strength. Now, it has about 70 billion parameters, making it much more powerful. This increase allows Sahabat-AI to understand not only the national language, Bahasa Indonesia, but also important regional languages such as Javanese, Sundanese, Batak, and Balinese.
Key Features and Functions
One of Sahabat-AI’s main features is its chatbot, which can hold natural conversations with users. This chatbot helps make tasks easier, such as ordering food through GoFood or improving how customer service centers respond to questions. The AI is designed to be simple to use, accurate in understanding user requests, fast in responding, and affordable for many people. It also supports different local languages, making it more inclusive for all Indonesians.
Strategic Benefits and Market Potential
During a launch event on June 2, 2025, GOTO’s CEO Patrick Walujo explained that Sahabat-AI aims to provide a reliable and easy-to-access AI service for everyone in Indonesia. Market experts, such as Gani from OCBC Sekuritas, believe that Sahabat-AI will give GOTO a strong advantage in the AI market because it understands local contexts better than many global AI models.
Furthermore, Sahabat-AI is built to run efficiently without needing very expensive hardware, which helps keep costs low. This is important for GOTO’s plan to increase productivity and save expenses over time. As the biggest digital platform in Indonesia, developing this AI technology supports GOTO’s goal to make its ecosystem more valuable and profitable.
User Access and Integration
Sahabat-AI is available as a chat service on the website sahabat-ai.com and inside the GoPay app, under the section called ‘Favorite Citizen Services’. This service uses advanced reasoning abilities, allowing users to ask detailed questions and receive clear, natural answers. By integrating the AI into widely used apps, GOTO makes it easier for millions of Indonesians to use and benefit from the technology. GOTO plans to continue improving Sahabat-AI by adding new features in the future, such as the ability to process images and videos. This will help the AI compete on a global level while still focusing on Indonesia’s unique needs.
Conclusion
Sahabat-AI is a major step forward in Indonesia’s AI development. By offering a smart, local language-friendly, and affordable AI, GOTO is helping to improve digital services and create more efficient ways for people to interact with technology. This innovation strengthens GOTO’s position as a leader in Indonesia’s digital economy and supports the country’s progress towards a more connected future.
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