Jakarta, INTI - Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria emphasized that public trust is a critical foundation for the development and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Indonesia.
According to Nezar, trust is a key factor influencing whether people are willing to use digital services. As AI continues to evolve, its development must therefore be accompanied by safeguards for information integrity to ensure that technologies used by the public remain accountable and credible.
“Trust is extremely important because it is a key factor that encourages the public to use digital services. From a communications perspective, one of the fundamental aspects of AI adoption is ensuring information integrity so that information remains accountable and credible,” Nezar said during The 5th IABC Indonesia Conference & Awards 2026, themed “Driving Communications Impact: Building Trust in the Age of AI,” as quoted in a written statement on September 21, 2026.
Nezar noted that building public trust has become increasingly complex as AI capabilities advance rapidly. AI can generate vast amounts of information and increasingly realistic content, including misinformation, disinformation, and deepfakes.
This development makes it more difficult for the public to distinguish authentic information from manipulated content. Nezar therefore stressed that the development of Indonesia’s AI ecosystem should go hand in hand with stronger digital literacy and governance mechanisms to ensure that AI technologies and their outputs remain reliable.
Trust as a Key Principle in Indonesia’s AI Ecosystem
In the development of Indonesia’s national AI ecosystem, Nezar highlighted trust as one of the principles that needs to be strengthened. Indonesia’s AI ecosystem is being directed toward becoming more inclusive, empowering, and sovereign.
Trust is particularly important when AI is applied to public services. Nezar noted that errors made by AI systems in government services could directly affect citizens and potentially influence their trust in public institutions.
For this reason, AI deployment requires appropriate safeguards and testing mechanisms before systems are widely implemented. Safeguards, testing, sandboxing, compliance measures, and rigorous evaluations are needed to ensure that AI systems used by the public operate reliably and can be trusted.
Growing Concerns Over Information Reliability
The importance of strengthening public trust is also reflected in changing levels of confidence in information. According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, global trust in news stood at 37 percent, while Indonesia recorded a 32 percent level of trust, four percentage points lower than the previous year.
Globally, 62 percent of respondents expressed concern about false and misleading information online. Meanwhile, only 20 percent said they trusted news obtained through AI chatbots.
President of IABC Indonesia and CEO of VMCS Communications and Social Impact Elvera N. Makki said AI has transformed the challenges faced by communications professionals. The ease of producing and distributing information means communicators are no longer simply responsible for delivering messages, but also for helping the public identify credible information.
“Communicators have an important role in helping people determine which information is trustworthy. When so much information appears equally convincing, the challenge is no longer simply finding information, but determining what is true,” Elvera said.
She added that communication success can no longer be measured solely by reach, engagement, or the speed of information distribution. Effective communication should foster understanding, strengthen trust, help people make more informed decisions, and encourage behavioral change.
Strengthening Responsible AI Development
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Prof. Stella Christie said Indonesia has an opportunity to establish a strategic position in AI development by strengthening infrastructure, policies, and talent.
From a public-interest perspective, DPD RI member representing Bali, Ni Luh Djelantik, emphasized the importance of ensuring that technological progress delivers tangible benefits to society.
East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak similarly stressed that the use of AI in public services should be accompanied by transparency, accountability, and communication that can be clearly understood by the public.
These perspectives reinforce the central message of the IABC Indonesia conference: AI development is not only about the technology’s ability to generate and distribute information, but also about ensuring that it is used responsibly.
In this context, strengthening information integrity, governance, system testing, and digital literacy will be essential to maintaining public trust as AI adoption continues to expand across Indonesia.
Conclusion
Public trust is becoming a central consideration in Indonesia’s AI development. As AI adoption expands, stronger information integrity, governance, system testing, safeguards, and digital literacy will be important to ensure that AI is deployed responsibly and that its benefits can be trusted by society.
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