Jakarta, INTI - Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi) has identified four strategic priorities to close the country's artificial intelligence (AI) capability gap amid the rapid adoption of AI technologies across society.
The initiative is designed to ensure that AI adoption extends beyond basic usage and drives meaningful transformation in education, healthcare, financial services, and public administration in a productive, responsible, and globally competitive manner.
"Simply adopting AI is not enough. What truly matters is the capability to use it effectively," said Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria during the Closing the AI Capability Gap in Indonesia forum held in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Nezar noted that Indonesia ranks among the world's leading AI adopters, placing in the global top five for ChatGPT usage in coding, data analytics, and education. Additionally, nearly half of the country's workforce uses AI on a weekly basis.
Despite this strong adoption rate, Indonesia continues to face challenges in maximizing AI's potential. According to Nezar, the primary issue is no longer access to AI technologies but the depth and quality of their utilization by both individuals and businesses.
"This is no longer an access gap, it is a capability gap," he emphasized.
He explained that significant disparities remain between advanced AI users and average users, while AI adoption among businesses is still largely limited to basic operational tasks. Only a relatively small number of companies have integrated AI into business transformation initiatives.
A similar challenge exists among Indonesia's millions of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), many of which have yet to complete their digital transformation, limiting their readiness to implement AI solutions effectively.
"We cannot build an AI ecosystem on a foundation that has not yet been digitalized," Nezar said.
To address these challenges, the government continues to strengthen the foundation for AI development through the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (STRANAS AI), the National AI Roadmap, and the National AI Ethics Framework, which is currently being prepared as a risk-based Presidential Regulation.
According to Nezar, these policies will provide a comprehensive framework to ensure that AI development remains secure, responsible, and beneficial to society.
"We need a clear and robust AI development framework supported by careful planning," he stated.
Four Strategic Priorities to Accelerate AI Transformation
The first strategic priority focuses on education. Kemkomdigi aims to shift AI usage from informal individual experimentation toward structured institutional implementation while ensuring age-appropriate, safe, and responsible adoption. The initiative seeks to enhance learning outcomes without compromising students' critical thinking skills.
"We must move from informal experimentation by students to structured, secure, and age-appropriate institutional adoption," Nezar explained.
The second priority targets healthcare. The Deputy Minister highlighted AI's successful application in tuberculosis (TB) screening as evidence of its potential to strengthen Indonesia's healthcare system, particularly in remote areas facing shortages of medical specialists.
AI-assisted diagnostic tools can help healthcare professionals identify diseases more quickly, expanding access to quality healthcare services across underserved regions.
"AI can significantly support doctors working in remote communities," he said.
The third strategic initiative focuses on financial services. While AI has already been widely adopted by large corporations for applications such as fraud detection, human resource management, and recruitment, the government intends to expand these technologies to microfinance institutions, enabling broader access to digital innovation for communities outside major urban centers.
"It is time to extend these AI capabilities to microfinance institutions that serve people beyond our major cities," Nezar stated.
The fourth priority centers on public sector transformation. Nezar observed that AI adoption across government institutions remains fragmented despite international examples demonstrating its ability to improve bureaucratic efficiency and service delivery.
The government therefore plans to accelerate AI implementation across public institutions to increase civil servant productivity while enhancing the quality and efficiency of public services.
"Civil servants deserve the same productivity gains that large corporations have achieved through AI," he said.
Building a Responsible and Inclusive AI Ecosystem
Concluding his remarks, Nezar stressed that AI should be viewed as a tool that complements human intelligence rather than replaces it. Strengthening AI literacy must therefore go hand in hand with developing reasoning and critical thinking skills, particularly among younger generations, to ensure AI is used responsibly and effectively.
Kemkomdigi also reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with industry, academia, and other stakeholders to build an inclusive, responsible, and sustainable national AI ecosystem.
"AI should be positioned as a complementary tool and a trusted partner in our work, not as a replacement for people," Nezar concluded.
Conclusion
Indonesia's four-pronged AI strategy reflects the government's commitment to transforming widespread AI adoption into meaningful capability across key sectors. By strengthening education, healthcare, financial services, and public administration while promoting responsible governance and AI literacy, Kemkomdigi aims to build an inclusive, secure, and sustainable AI ecosystem that supports long-term digital innovation and economic competitiveness.
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