Indonesia recently released its updated Artificial Intelligence Roadmap for public consultation. The public can access the document to understand the country’s direction on AI and provide feedback to it before August 29^th. Proving to be more than a policy note, it is an open statement by KomDigi (Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs) that for AI development to take off in Indonesia it must be human-centric.

The roadmap recognizes that technology on its own does not build trust, nor does its inherent improvement in capability guarantee widespread adoption. What builds trust is experience: when people feel AI is working for them, not on them. This is why the document does not only speak about infrastructure or algorithms. It devotes an entire appendix to ethics through “Konsep Pedoman Etika Kecerdasan Artifisial” — outlining principles such as transparency, accountability, and human dignity.

This matters because AI adoption is often judged by flashy demos or large investments into pilot projects. Yet in practice, success depends on whether a student can trust an AI as a tutor, whether a patient consents to AI-powered diagnostics, or whether citizens believe chatbots can provide reliable answers, especially on critical livelihood domains.  

What is inside the document?

At its core, the roadmap is a blueprint for how Indonesia intends to harness AI. The document starts to define AI and its nuances (lifecycle, governance principles, risks). There is balance between ambition and pragmatism: setting a vision for global competitiveness while grounding it in priority use cases like healthcare, education, and public services.  

The prioritized use cases and government strategy are grounded based on Indonesia’s current condition and global benchmarks, with analysis on each 8 building blocks of AI in ethics, policy, infrastructure and data, research, talent, investment, and use case.

For global readers, one insight stands out:  

Indonesia is framing AI as a tool to enhance everyday experiences for its people, more than economic driver.  

While many countries and companies seem to be at a race to adopt AI for economic or business growth, Indonesia remind us that it is ethics, or rather, human itself that give meaning — the rest is commentary. However, we are yet to see it unfolds.

Why this roadmap matters

The AI Roadmap, together with its Ethics Guideline, is designed as an open resource and guidelines to be a structure that individuals and institutions can use to anchor their own strategies.

For public institutions, the document provides clarity on where AI efforts are most encouraged:

• Focus on ten priority sectors that include food security, health, education, and bureaucracy reform.  

• Refer to “quick-win” use cases, which the roadmap identifies areas where pilot projects could generate immediate public value.  

• Follow the AI Ethics Guideline as a starting point for building citizen trust, with specific focus around human oversight, transparency, and fairness.

For enterprises, the roadmap signals where demand may emerge first:

• Sectors such as healthcare, education, and logistics are likely to see greater government interest and procurement.

• Businesses that integrate ethics and customer trust into their AI offerings will be better placed to participate in this growth.

• Rather than focusing only on technological capability, solutions that prioritize user experience, clarity, and fairness are likely to resonate more strongly.

For startups and SMEs, the roadmap lowers the barrier to entry by highlighting areas where local context matters most:

• Indonesian language models, regional data, and integration with frontline services could become differentiating strengths.  

• The ethics framework, though high-level, can also serve as a way to demonstrate readiness for collaboration with larger institutions.

For academia and civil society, the roadmap invites participation as independent partners:

• Developing talent, test AI safeguards, or evaluate the fairness and accessibility of AI systems.  

• This is a space where neutral and credible voices are valuable.

For investors, the roadmap provides visibility on where policy attention and financing will likely converge:

• Priority sectors and “quick-win” projects indicate which verticals may see stronger demand signals in the near term.

• At the same time, the Ethics Guideline creates a baseline for assessing risk.

• In this sense, the document offers investors both a directional map of opportunities and a risk lens for evaluating potential partnerships.

Closing remarks

Indonesia’s latest AI Roadmap is a step toward placing people, not technology, at the centre of economic progress in the era of AI The message is clear: AI must be trusted, safe, and meaningful to citizens if it is to succeed.  

What we would like to see more of in the coming years is depth in execution:

• Clearer operational standards for safety.

• More detailed strategies for talent development.

• Greater industry participation to translate vision into tangible impact.

Realistically, the ecosystem will mature if government, business, academia, and investors align around the same principle: AI should enhance life while safeguarding safety and trust. If this alignment continues, Indonesia will be beyond adopting AI, but shape it in a way that is inclusive, ethical, and globally competitive.

Enjoyed the read? Let’s take it further.

Connect to unlock exclusive insights, smart AI tools, and real connections that spark action.

Schedule a chat to unlock the full experience