JAKARTA, 12 May 2026 – The implementation of the Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB) of Seven Ministers on Guidelines for the Utilization and Learning of Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Formal, Nonformal, and Informal education requires cross-sectoral collaboration that extends far beyond the classroom. This became the central theme of the Digital Experts Talk #24 policy dialogue, organized through a collaboration between the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Indonesia, and the Center for Digital Society (CfDS) at Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The event, titled “From Guidelines to Practice: Strengthening the Role of Educators, Families, and Communities in the Use of Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education,” served as a platform for disseminating research findings while fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue. It brought together government officials, academics, education practitioners, and digital literacy communities to discuss three critical issues: educator capacity, national AI sovereignty, and the involvement of families and communities in supporting children in digital spaces.

The discussion took place amid the rapidly expanding use of AI among students and educators in Indonesia. The use of generative AI for academic purposes among Indonesian students is considered high compared to the global average. While this development presents significant opportunities, it also raises concerns regarding cognitive debt, the erosion of academic integrity, and the risk of brain rot caused by excessive consumption of instant digital content.

Opening the event, Deputy for Coordination of Family Quality Improvement and Population Affairs at Kemenko PMK, Woro Srihastuti Sulistyaningrum, highlighted that children, as digital natives, are exposed to the internet with increasing intensity and are therefore vulnerable to various digital risks. She emphasized that child protection in digital spaces cannot rest on a single stakeholder alone. “Children must be protected, teachers must be empowered, parents must be equipped, communities must be involved, and the digital ecosystem must also take responsibility,” she stated.

The drafting team, Brigitta Kalina and Achmed Faiz, presented findings from a study on the implementation framework for AI guidelines in education. The study recommends a readiness-based approach that considers students’ cognitive, psychological, and ethical preparedness, while also advocating for a balance between screen time and time spent interacting with social environments and nature. The study further identifies policy dissemination, the development of technical guidelines, and capacity building for educators as key priorities.

From a governance perspective, Ayu Purwarianti, an assistant professor at Institut Teknologi Bandung and member of the National Digital Talent and Artificial Intelligence Development Task Force under Kemenko PMK, explained that the AI era is unavoidable. “We cannot detach ourselves from AI, so we need to use AI ethically and learn how to use it properly while understanding its risks, and then teach these principles to students,” she remarked. Ayu also raised concerns regarding Indonesia’s dependence on foreign AI developers. She urged the government to strengthen its bargaining position with global technology companies to ensure that AI products entering Indonesia align with the country’s values and regulations.

Vice Chairperson of the National Digital Literacy Movement Siberkreasi, Asep Kambali, promoted the four-pillar digital literacy framework developed by Siberkreasi: Capability, Safety, Culture, and Ethics, known by the Indonesian acronym CABE, as a key reference for navigating the digital era. He also underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration in operationalizing government guidelines down to the grassroots level. “The nation’s problems are highly complex, like a puzzle in which every person represents one piece of the solution needed to address the challenges facing this country,” he said.

From the perspective of classroom practitioners, Suhardy Amir highlighted disparities in teachers’ capacities as one of the key barriers to AI utilization in schools. “Not all teachers possess the same level of digital readiness. There is, for example, a generational gap in which senior teachers, despite their extensive experience, often do not know where to begin when participating in AI training,” he explained. Infrastructure and supporting facilities also remain unevenly distributed across schools, particularly outside major urban centers. Suhardy expressed hope that AI adoption could address teachers’ fundamental needs, ranging from assistance in preparing teaching materials to handling administrative tasks.

The question-and-answer session further explored issues surrounding dependency on AI, disparities in cognitive capacity, and the potential reinforcement of gender and religious biases through algorithms. The discussion concluded with a shared consensus that AI governance in education requires sustained collaboration among government institutions, academics, educators, families, and communities.

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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