Jakarta, INTI - Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, has responded to growing calls within the global technology industry to slow the development of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing that Indonesia favors advancing AI innovation with safety built into the technology from the outset.
Meutya said the Indonesian government does not support stopping or deliberately slowing AI innovation. Instead, it stresses the importance of adopting a “safety by design” approach, ensuring security considerations are incorporated from the earliest stages of development.
She made the statement during a press conference at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi) office in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
“Indonesia certainly supports not slowing AI development, but rather implementing safety by design more carefully, and that will inevitably require time,” Meutya said.
Meutya Says Rapid AI Development Requires Stronger Risk Mitigation
Meutya noted that AI technology is advancing at an exceptionally rapid pace, making safety considerations increasingly important.
According to her, advanced technologies such as AI should not be developed hastily without properly assessing the potential risks they may create.
The government believes that AI development requires sufficient time to ensure that security and safety considerations are addressed from the design stage.
“We have therefore conveyed that sufficient and appropriate time is needed for such an advanced new technology. Its development cannot proceed without an adequate risk-mitigation process,” she said.
Meutya explained that the safety-by-design principle is intended to make security an integral part of the technology development process rather than an additional measure applied only after a system has been completed.
The approach is considered important for reducing potential negative consequences associated with the increasingly widespread use of AI.
Indonesia Supports AI Innovation While Prioritizing Safety
Meutya emphasized that Indonesia’s position is not aimed at restricting the continued advancement of AI across various sectors.
Instead, the government wants AI innovation to continue while maintaining a cautious approach and prioritizing user protection.
“Indonesia is among the countries advocating for more careful AI innovation and the implementation of safety by design,” Meutya said.
Embedding safety into the design process is therefore becoming a key approach for Indonesia as AI technologies become increasingly sophisticated and complex.
Through this approach, developers are expected to have sufficient time to identify and mitigate potential risks before AI systems are deployed on a broader scale.
Global Technology Leaders Raise Concerns Over AI-Driven Cyber Threats
Calls to slow AI development have also emerged among several global technology leaders concerned about the growing potential for AI to be misused.
As AI models become increasingly sophisticated, they could introduce new risks to digital security and human safety.
One concern is the possibility that AI could be misused to automate the development of sophisticated cyber weapons and attacks.
Advanced AI systems could also potentially be used to generate and distribute disinformation on a massive scale, at speeds that may be difficult to control.
Another concern is that increasingly capable AI systems could potentially assist in the development or assembly of hazardous materials.
These risks have contributed to calls for stronger oversight, more rigorous testing, and greater safety measures throughout the AI development process.
Concerns Grow Over AI Systems Operating Beyond Developers’ Control
Beyond the potential misuse of AI by humans, the development of increasingly capable AI systems has also raised questions about whether their objectives can remain aligned with human values and interests.
Concerns arise if highly capable AI systems are not designed to remain aligned with the intentions and objectives established by their developers.
In such scenarios, AI systems could potentially produce actions or outcomes that differ from their original intended purpose.
The issue has become part of the broader global debate over how to balance rapid technological innovation with the need to maintain AI safety.
Through Kemkomdigi, Indonesia has emphasized the importance of developing AI responsibly and cautiously, with sufficient time allocated for comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation.
The government continues to support AI advancement while positioning safety as a fundamental component of the innovation process.
Conclusion
Indonesia is not calling for a slowdown in AI innovation, but for a more careful approach that places safety at the core of development. By promoting safety by design, the government aims to ensure that AI innovation continues while potential risks are identified and mitigated before the technology is widely deployed.
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