JAKARTA — Indonesia officially enacted the Joint Decree (SKB) of Seven Ministers on Guidelines for the Use and Learning of Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) across formal, non-formal, and informal education on March 12, 2026. The policy establishes a foundation for cross-sector coordination while ensuring that the use of technology aligns with child protection principles and the improvement of learning quality.

The enactment served as the central context of Digital Experts Talk #23, hosted by the Center for Digital Society (CfDS) of Universitas Gadjah Mada together with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Indonesia on Tuesday (April 28). The forum gathered stakeholders to discuss the policy’s direction and its readiness for implementation on the ground.

Adoption Surges, Readiness Lags

Speakers at the forum noted that AI adoption in the education sector has grown rapidly, with the majority of students and university students already using AI in their learning.

A study presented by the Drafting Team identified three areas requiring simultaneous attention: regulatory harmonization to prevent overlapping cross-sector policies; governance that ensures coordination among ministries and agencies; and implementation that addresses human resource capacity, infrastructure equity, and digital parenting practices. The three are interlocking, as each domain of risk sits at the intersection of at least two ministerial mandates, leaving any sectoral response inevitably partial. Without coordinated intervention, AI risks widening rather than bridging the gaps it was meant to close.

The Decree as a Cross-Sector Coordination Framework

The Joint Decree assigns roles among ministries and agencies across three previously fragmented domains: education, child protection, and digital ecosystem governance. From this framework, cross-sector programs will be carried out, ranging from teacher capacity building and family literacy to oversight of technology use in educational settings.

Prof. Ojat Darojat, Deputy for the Coordination of Education Quality Improvement at Kemenko PMK, emphasized that the enactment marks only the first step. “It looks good on paper, but our greatest challenge lies in implementation. Not only in schools, but also in engaging every actor in society, especially families and parents,” he said. He underscored three non-negotiable principles: that technology must be safe, inclusive, and ethical, adding, “Do not let technology dictate the direction of our education. Education must be its compass.”

A Child Rights and Family-Centered Approach

Speakers stressed that AI use in education must uphold the best interests of the child, encompassing safety, ethics, and digital well-being.

Andy Ardian, Coordinator of Indonesia Child Online Protection (ID-COP), said all interventions must rest on child rights principles as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). “The use of AI must take into account academic integrity, personal data protection, and the psychological well-being of learners. Without these, risks in the digital space will only replicate, and even amplify, those in the real world,” he said. He also called for monitoring systems capable of detecting risky AI interactions rather than merely restricting content.

Meanwhile, Nopian Andusti, Deputy for Family Welfare and Empowerment at the Ministry of Population and Family Development/National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), affirmed the family’s role as the first line of defense in supporting children in digital spaces. “The quality of technology use is not determined by its sophistication, but by the quality of the people using it, and that is shaped within the family,” he said.

The Road Ahead: Strengthening Capacity and Ensuring Equitable Access

Beyond regulation, the forum emphasized the need to invest in capacity building, particularly for educators and parents.

Brigitte Juchems, Resident Director of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Indonesia, cautioned against overestimating AI. “AI is not a magic wand that can solve problems already embedded in the system. What we need is a contextual and adaptive pedagogical approach as a guardrail,” she said. Without upskilling and reskilling for teachers, particularly in remote areas, the capacity gap will only widen.

Undral Ganbaatar, Programme Specialist at UNESCO Jakarta, added that AI still requires human oversight as the technology is not free of error. “The interaction between teacher and student remains the core of learning, something AI cannot replace. That is why strengthening AI literacy matters, not only to bridge the digital divide, but also to equip learners with critical thinking, social skills, and ethical understanding,” she said. UNESCO advocates an interdisciplinary approach to AI literacy that weaves together STEM with the social sciences, the humanities, and public policy.

With the enactment of the Joint Decree, Indonesia now has an initial framework to strengthen AI governance in education. Its success will hinge on the consistency of implementation, cross-sector collaboration, and the ability to translate policy principles into practice at the school, family, and regional levels. Only through shared commitment can AI become an accelerator of equitable learning quality, particularly in regions long underserved by educational resources.

This press release is issued by the Center for Digital Society (CfDS), Universitas Gadjah Mada. Digital Experts Talk #23 is a collaboration between CfDS UGM, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK), and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Indonesia, in support of efforts to improve the quality of policies on the use of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of human development and culture.

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