*) By: Gavin Asadit
The increasingly rapid digital transformation has brought Indonesia into a new phase of national development. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer seen as a technology of the future, but has become part of everyday economic activities, public services, education, and even the production and distribution of information.
In this context, the government has positioned strengthening digital literacy and media resilience as two crucial foundations to ensure that technological acceleration can go hand in hand with the quality of a healthy, safe, and productive public space. President Prabowo’s administration believes that the public’s ability to understand technology and manage the flow of information will be a determining factor in building Indonesia’s competitiveness in the digital economy era.
Amidst these major changes, the government believes that digital transformation presents not only opportunities but also challenges that require institutional and societal readiness. The use of AI opens up opportunities for increased productivity, increased efficiency in public services, and strengthened innovation in various sectors. However, at the same time, technological developments also give rise to new challenges such as disinformation, content manipulation, personal data protection, and increasingly rapid and complex changes in information consumption patterns. Therefore, the government has begun strengthening its approach, focusing not only on technology adoption but also on building community capacity to use technology responsibly and productively.
Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid places national AI development within a broader framework than simply technological modernization. The government is currently finalizing the national AI roadmap for the 2026-2029 period, which is intended to serve as a guideline for the development of artificial intelligence in various strategic sectors. According to Hafid, the success of digital transformation depends heavily on the country’s ability to build strong governance so that technology can develop safely, ethically, and provide equitable benefits. The government believes that strengthening regulations, data governance, and improving the quality of human resources must go hand in hand so that Indonesia becomes not only a technology market but also a key player in the global digital ecosystem.
In various digital transformation agendas throughout 2026, the government has also begun expanding the definition of digital literacy. While previously understood as the ability to use devices and access the internet, this approach has now evolved to include the ability to understand how algorithms work, recognize information distribution patterns, maintain personal data security, and utilize technology for value-added activities. The government believes that a society with strong digital skills will be better prepared to face change and less susceptible to the risks of technology misuse.
This capacity building is becoming increasingly relevant given the rapid growth in adoption of AI technology in Indonesia. Government data from early 2026 showed that AI adoption in Indonesia had reached approximately 92 percent across various uses, ranging from business operations, education, communications, and digital services. This demonstrates that AI has become a part of people’s daily lives. Therefore, the government is strengthening digital talent development programs so that people do not simply become technology users but develop the ability to adapt, innovate, and play a role in the national digital economy.
Amidst the changing information landscape, the media also faces new challenges that require adaptability without abandoning the fundamental principles of journalism. The government views media resilience as a crucial element in maintaining the quality of democracy and the national public sphere. The media’s ability to maintain standards of verification, accuracy, independence, and editorial responsibility becomes increasingly crucial as AI technology enables information production on a much larger and faster scale. Therefore, media strengthening is seen not as an effort to maintain old models, but rather as building new capabilities to maintain relevance in the ever-evolving digital ecosystem.
This view is also supported by Firman Kurniawan, a digital communications observer from the University of Indonesia. According to him, the main challenge in the AI era is not simply access to technology, but rather the public’s ability to understand how information is produced, prioritized, and disseminated in the modern digital ecosystem. He sees critical thinking as an increasingly important competency so that people can sort information more objectively and avoid being easily influenced by misleading content. In this context,
Therefore, digital literacy must develop into the ability to understand information structures, not just the ability to use technological devices.
In addition to the government and academics, digital industry players are also beginning to prioritize human resource development in the face of technological change. Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria believes that Indonesia has a significant opportunity to become a center of digital economic growth in the region if it can simultaneously strengthen talent and technology governance. He believes that the ability to balance innovation and public protection will determine the long-term success of Indonesia’s digital transformation.
)* The author is an observer of social and community issues.