Jakarta, INTI - In the education sector, particularly in higher education, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is now being utilized for various academic purposes. Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) continues to strengthen the AI ecosystem on campus through research development and collaboration with various strategic partners.
The Head of the UGM Digital Transformation Office, Dr. Mardhani Riasetiawan, SE Ak, M.T., stated that developing the AI ecosystem is one of UGM's strategic steps to encourage innovation, strengthen research capacity, and address the needs of digital transformation in higher education.
"Last year, we launched the UGM AI Center of Excellence. We also had a valuable opportunity to collaborate with Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison," said Mardhani at the "Research with Artificial Intelligence (AI)" seminar held at UGM on Monday, July 27, 2026.
Mardhani revealed that Indosat and NVIDIA had conducted several site visits and direct evaluations at UGM before finally declaring that UGM met the requirements to join the NVIDIA AI Technology Center (NVAITC) network. He stated that this collaboration will strengthen UGM's AI research capacity through the support of NVIDIA technology.
"The biggest problem in AI development so far has been limited computing resources. Through this collaboration, we hope UGM researchers can utilize computing capacity on a much larger scale than before," he explained.
AI in UGM’s Multidisciplinary Ecosystem
In addition to strengthening collaboration with industry partners, UGM is also preparing several programs to expand the AI ecosystem on campus. One of these is the Artificial Intelligence Talent Factory (AITF) program, designed as a three-year development program, and the establishment of the UGM AI Faculty Members as a cross-faculty academic network.
"What we are most encouraged about this collaboration with NVIDIA is UGM's core strength as a multidisciplinary university. Our approach is not only focused on technical aspects but also involves various other disciplines, such as the social and humanities," explained Mardhani.
According to Mardhani, this network can provide a collaborative space for researchers from various disciplines to jointly develop AI research. Going forward, Mardhani said, UGM AI also aims to develop into a research center capable of managing research funding, providing scholarship programs, recruiting master's and doctoral students, and expanding collaboration internationally.
UGM Faculty of Law lecturer, Dr. Rimawati, S.H., M.Hum., explained that AI has opened up new opportunities to support legal research, particularly in the stages of regulatory review, court decisions, and the preparation of analysis matrices. According to her, work that was previously done manually and took days or even weeks can now be completed much more quickly with the help of AI.
"With the help of AI, the search process has become much more efficient. Previously, this work could take up to a month, but now the same process can be completed in just a few hours," said Rimawati.
AI Functions as a Tool
However, Rimawati continued, AI only functions as a tool to expedite the search and organization of legal data. Analysis, interpretation of norms, and legal justification remain the responsibility of the researcher. She added that every result provided by AI must be verified by comparing it to the sources of legislation and court decisions. According to her, this step is crucial to ensure the accuracy of the information while maintaining the quality and academic integrity of legal research.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ferian Anggara, S.T., M.Eng., IPM., Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), explained that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can improve research efficiency, particularly in the exploration of mineral and energy resources. According to him, this technology enables researchers to process large amounts of data to identify potential resources more quickly and accurately, thereby shortening previously time-consuming analysis processes.
"Our use of AI and machine learning aims to support work process efficiency. When work processes become more efficient, we gain at least two benefits, time savings and cost savings," said Ferian.
Conclusion
UGM is strengthening its AI ecosystem through research development and strategic collaborations with industry partners, such as Indosat and NVIDIA. UGM is also developing various programs, such as the Artificial Intelligence Talent Factory (AITF) and the UGM AI Faculty Member network, to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and prepare an AI research center capable of managing funding, scholarships, and international cooperation.
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