Jakarta, INTI - Indonesia is being encouraged to lead a regional forum on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics in Southeast Asia to promote responsible and ethical AI adoption. As the region’s largest digital economy, according to the e-Conomy SEA 2025 report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, Indonesia is considered strategically positioned to spearhead this initiative.
The proposed platform aims to bring together universities, businesses, government institutions, civil society organizations, and technology practitioners to ensure that Southeast Asia’s priorities and values help shape the global AI governance agenda.
Dietrich Werner, President of Global Ethics, emphasized the importance of Southeast Asia taking a more active role in international discussions. As AI and emerging technologies advance rapidly, they offer significant opportunities to improve public services and address complex challenges. However, concerns surrounding privacy, fairness, and public trust are becoming increasingly important.
A global KPMG survey across 47 countries found that 70% of respondents want AI to be strictly regulated, while fewer than half believe existing regulations are sufficient.
“Southeast Asia must not simply become a market for AI, but also a region that helps determine how AI is governed. Indonesia is ready to take a leading role in building this regional dialogue, grounded in our own ethics and values,” Dietrich said on October 22, 2026.
Global Ethics Forum Discusses Responsible AI Innovation
In response to these challenges, three sessions of the Global Ethics Forum (GEF) on responsible innovation were organized to discuss inclusive and ethical AI governance. The sessions also explored the possibility of establishing a regional ethics forum for East Asia and the Pacific or Southeast Asia.
The discussions highlighted that AI implementation presents challenges not only for national regulatory frameworks but also for corporate strategies and the future of work.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, nearly nine in ten young employees consider a sense of purpose essential to job satisfaction, while approximately four in ten have left jobs they perceived as lacking meaning.
These findings underscore the importance of integrating ethical principles into business strategies, product design, and workplace environments rather than treating ethics merely as a compliance requirement or additional cost.
Embedding ethical considerations into business operations can help organizations build trust, strengthen employee engagement, and generate sustainable long-term value.
Human Well-Being at the Center of Technological Innovation
Ubaidillah Nugraha, Independent Commissioner of PT BRI Life, emphasized that the true value of innovation should ultimately be measured by its impact on human well-being.
He argued that innovation should improve people's lives and encourage businesses to evaluate whether their products and decisions genuinely serve customers while respecting and developing their employees.
“When companies put human well-being at the center, ethics are no longer a cost burden, but a source of trust and long-term value,” Ubaidillah said.
As AI adoption accelerates across industries, the discussions reinforce the need to balance technological advancement with accountability, fairness, privacy protection, and human welfare.
By taking a leadership role in regional AI ethics discussions, Indonesia has an opportunity to help shape governance frameworks that reflect Southeast Asia’s needs while contributing to broader international efforts to promote responsible AI innovation.
Conclusion
Indonesia is well positioned to lead Southeast Asia in promoting ethical and responsible AI governance. By bringing together governments, businesses, academia, and civil society, the country can help shape regional AI policies that prioritize privacy, fairness, accountability, and human well-being while supporting sustainable technological innovation.
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