Indonesia Promotes Human-Centered Principles in AI Ecosystem Development

Indonesia is putting people, rather than the technology itself, at the centre of its plans for developing an artificial intelligence ecosystem.

Agung Gumilar Triyanto, head of the Digitalisation and Information Management Bureau at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, said AI should be understood as a tool operated by people. “AI is a tool. Who operates it? Humans. So we need to view it from the perspective of human-centered AI, with humans as the operators who use it,” he said at an OpenAI discussion in Jakarta.

The ministry is applying what it calls an “AI for all, for many, and for few” approach, particularly in digital talent and AI literacy programs. Triyanto said the aim is for Indonesian AI talent to produce innovations and solutions that retain human values.

The principle also appears in a joint decision issued by the ministry and seven others on digital and AI use in education. Under the guidance, primary and secondary students may not use instant AI services to answer school assignments directly. AI remains permitted when designed specifically for education and guided learning.

Indonesia has also issued Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025, known as PP TUNAS, on electronic-system governance for protecting children in digital spaces. The regulation prioritizes children’s safety, including when they use AI services. Triyanto said programs such as Sekolah Rakyat and Sekolah Unggul Garuda are helping provide facilities so AI can reach communities with limited digital infrastructure.

“

AI is a tool. Who operates it? Humans. So we need to view it from the perspective of human-centered AI, with humans as the operators who use it