Indonesia ready to support open, inclusive AI ecosystem: Airlangga

Shanghai (ANTARA) - Indonesia has affirmed its readiness to contribute to an open, inclusive, and beneficial global artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem to enhance public welfare worldwide.

The commitment was stated by Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 in Shanghai on Friday.

"Indonesia affirms its readiness to collaborate in building a global artificial intelligence ecosystem that is open, inclusive, and beneficial for the welfare of the global community," Airlangga stated.

During the meeting, he expressed appreciation for the Chinese government's initiative to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) and for selecting Indonesia as a founding member state.

"As a country that joined from the early stages of its founding, Indonesia has a very strategic opportunity to make a significant contribution to formulating WAICO's policy direction and institutional structure," Airlangga said.

He noted that Indonesia's decision to join the newly formed international body follows a direct directive from President Prabowo Subianto to accelerate the development and utilization of AI technologies across the country.

Minister Airlangga stated that Indonesia aims to optimize AI technology in strategic sectors, including modern agriculture, renewable energy management, and digital healthcare innovations.

However, he noted that advanced AI adoption requires robust domestic infrastructure support, particularly data centers.

According to government data, Indonesia's digital economy is currently valued at approximately US$130 billion and is projected to increase to US$300 billion, with AI integration expected to accelerate this growth trajectory.

At the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that AI development must serve as an instrument to improve human well-being and foster progress shared by all nations.

"AI development should not be a solo performance by one country, but rather a symphony of global collaboration," President Xi said.

To realize this vision, China will develop an open-source AI platform accessible for collaborative development by member nations.

Furthermore, over the next five years, China will organize capacity-building programs for various countries to expand technology access and narrow the digital gap.

The initiative received immediate backing from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who expressed hope that WAICO would align AI development with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through responsible, inclusive deployment.

On Thursday (July 16), Indonesia officially joined 28 other countries in signing the official declaration establishing WAICO.

The 29 founding member states are China, Algeria, Belarus, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Zambia.

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Translator: Desca Lidya Natalia, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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