DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: 'AI talent factory' in Indonesia

(Chinhphu.vn) – In fact, Indonesia is facing a major challenge in human resources. The country currently has about 9.3 million workers in the digital sector, but this number is far from the expected demand of 12 million people by 2030.

AI Talent Factory is designed as a comprehensive talent development center that combines in-depth research and industrial application.

Recently, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi) announced plans to launch the "AI Talent Factory" program, an ambitious initiative to address the shortage of high-quality labor and accelerate the process of building a national AI ecosystem.

Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria stressed that the program is an important part of the national agenda under President Prabowo Subianto. The initiative is fully aligned with the new government 's "Asta Cita" (8 Aspirations) vision, which places a strong emphasis on strengthening digital infrastructure and developing outstanding human resources to propel Indonesia into the digital future.

AI Talent Factory is designed as a comprehensive talent development center that combines in-depth research and industrial application.

This program is not a standalone effort but rather a next step, an acceleration of previous successful initiatives such as the “Digital Talent Scholarship” and the “Digital Leadership Academy” that have been implemented over the past five years.

In addition to training people, the Indonesian government is also urgently completing the legal corridor to facilitate the development of AI. According to Deputy Minister Nezar, Kemkomdigi is in the final stages of completing the "National AI Development Roadmap" and is expected to soon propose the issuance of a Presidential Decree on the management, development and application of AI technology on a large scale.

AI Users Soar, Indonesia Lacks AI Talent

Indonesia will need a talent pool of about 12 million people by 2030 to support the development of the digital economy , including AI, but the current digital ecosystem can only provide about 3 million people.

Indonesia is consistently among the top three countries with the largest number of weekly AI users, with Indonesia ranked among the world ’s top 30 markets. However, Southeast Asia’s largest economy is lagging behind in terms of AI developers, citing low levels of application programming interfaces (APIs) for AI adoption.

Developers face a number of challenges in expanding Indonesia’s AI industry, from a lack of early-stage investment to inadequate digital infrastructure. Domestic venture capitalists have also shown less interest in investing in emerging technologies like AI.

Indonesia creates Supreme AI Fund to serve technological ambitions

Indonesia's AI development agency has proposed the establishment of a Supreme AI Fund to finance its ambition to turn the archipelago nation into a regional AI hub.

The move comes as Southeast Asia's largest economy prepares to release its first national AI roadmap, a White Paper, aimed at attracting foreign investment and joining the global race for AI and chipmaking.

The tech race has seen neighbouring Malaysia attract billions of dollars from global tech giants keen to build essential infrastructure to meet growing demand for cloud computing and AI services.

Indonesia's AI strategy, published in a 179-page white paper seen by Reuters, recommends that the Supreme AI Fund be led by the Danantara Indonesia sovereign wealth fund, which manages more than $900 billion in assets.

The document did not specify the amount of capital needed, but estimated the implementation period would be 2027-2029, with a public-private partnership model. The plan also proposed increasing tax incentives for domestic investors in the AI sector, but details were not released. Danantara Indonesia did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by Reuters.

In October 2024, Indonesia's new President Prabowo Subianto announced a new cabinet with 48 ministries and 5 ministerial-level agencies for the 2024-2029 term, including the Ministry of Communications and Digital.

In Indonesia's new Cabinet, President Prabowo Subianto announced Ms. Meutya Hafid as Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, renamed from the Ministry of Communications and Information (Komdigi).

President Prabowo Subianto has asked the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs to promote national digital transformation and convey this message to all new Cabinet members.

Indonesia has the fifth highest number of Internet users in the world. Indonesia's Internet users increased from 132.7 million to 150 million. Social media users increased from 130 million to 150 million, while mobile users accessing social media increased from 120 million to 130 million.

An Binh (synthesis)

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/chuyen-doi-so-nha-may-nhan-tai-ai-tai-indonesia-102250814105936135.htm