AI is a fundamental force multiplier for Indonesia’s economy and an enabler that can significantly impact key sectors like agriculture, education, healthcare, and rural SMEs.
At Indonesia AI Day 2024, Vikram Sinha, President Director, and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat or IOH), emphasized how AI sovereignty is becoming a cornerstone for Indonesia's digital future. The event highlighted Indosat’s commitment to advancing a future-ready AI ecosystem that will safeguard national interests and boost the country’s global digital competitiveness.
Under the theme, “Unleashing Indonesia’s AI Sovereignty,” the event showcased the launch of Sahabat-AI, an open-source large language model (LLM) ecosystem jointly developed by Indosat and GoTo. Sahabat-AI empowers Indonesians by offering LLMs tailored to Indonesia’s local language. The LLM has been built with NVIDIA AI to understand local context and culture, therein promoting inclusivity and digital literacy through AI localization. Together with IM3 Platinum and Merdaka Cloud, Sahabat-AI is the latest platform by Indosat that contributes towards the democratization of AI.
“Sahabat-AI is not just a technological achievement; it embodies Indonesia’s vision for a future where digital sovereignty and inclusivity go hand-in-hand,” noted Sinha. “By creating an AI model that speaks our language and reflects our culture, we empower every Indonesian to harness advanced technology's potential.”
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Pioneering AI-Techco and AI-Cloud Sovereignty in Indonesia
The event convened local government officials and global industry leaders including Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, who discussed the transformative potential of AI and its role in driving innovation and digital growth. The sessions highlighted a shared vision for advancing AI-driven digital transformation in Indonesia.
A key player in pioneering AI-native innovations in Indonesia, Indosat has taken strategic steps towards promoting the country’s sovereignty over AI technologies and ensuring sustainable AI adoption.
In his speech, Sinha outlined a multi-pronged approach that involves building a robust sovereign AI foundation, accelerating AI partnerships with private-public entities, and supporting the digital talent pipeline through an AI Center of Excellence.
Central to Indosat’s transformation, for instance, is key partnerships with NVIDIA to deploy its GB200 GPUs and unlock AI’s full potential. Additionally, Indosat has partnered with Accenture to help Indonesian enterprises develop AI solutions while ensuring sovereign data governance.
This approach aligns with Indonesia’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (2020-2045), which focuses on developing and deploying AI across key sectors to drive economic growth, improve public services, and strengthen national competitiveness. It also supports Indonesia’s broader vision under Golden Vision 2045, which aims to position the country as a regional and global powerhouse.
In a fireside chat, Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA, shared that AI represents the greatest opportunity for Indonesia to uplift its people, serving as a powerful equalizer that will democratize technology and make it accessible to everyone.
“You have to own your intelligence; you cannot outsource your intelligence,” said Huang. “AI is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a new industry, and it is imperative for Indonesia to control the nation’s intelligence.”
To achieve the nation’s digital ambition, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises of Indonesia, Erick Thohir, noted that Indonesia has a strong pool of human capital, which can be leveraged to enhance AI developments and participate in an AI-driven ecosystem.
In a separate discussion, Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO, Accenture, said, “AI is both about fueling productivity and growth, and AI is what is going to propel Indonesia to achieving 8% growth.”
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AI to Pave the Way for Future Excellence
In a plenary session titled “AI Ecosystem and the Path to Future Excellence,” Prof. Hammam Riza, President of KORIKA, commended Indosat’s efforts to enhance its infrastructure to support a myriad of use cases and foster Indonesia’s successful AI innovation. He also delved into the importance of ethical AI in ensuring transparency and inclusivity when adopting generative AI (GenAI).
Echoing the sentiment that AI is an engine for growth, Country Director of Google Cloud, Indonesia, Fanly Tanto, noted the importance of establishing an ecosystem that focuses on protecting the country’s interest without hindering innovation to ensure that enterprises thrive. Irene Umar, Deputy Minister of Ministry for Creative Economy, added that AI should be viewed as a tool to complement, rather than replace, the workforce, addressing common concerns about AI’s impact on employment.
Through its continued efforts to advance AI sovereignty, Indosat is empowering Indonesia to take control of its own AI technologies, data, and infrastructure, protecting the nation’s economic and technological interests while empowering its people.
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