Wamenkomdigi Nezar: National Compute Cluster is the Key to Indonesia's AI Competitiveness

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Nezar Patria emphasized that the development of a national compute cluster is one of the main keys to increasing Indonesia's competitiveness in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

According to him, Indonesia must go beyond being a user of technology by building strong computing capacity and strengthening national digital talent.

Nezar explained that there are at least two strategies that are very important in the development of compute clusters, including the development of AI infrastructure and strengthening national digital talent with global competitiveness.

With the development of modern AI that is highly dependent on the current large-scale computing capacity, Nezar emphasized that the need for compute clusters is increasingly urgent.

Because according to him, the infrastructure will become the foundation for the development of AI models, research, innovation, and the birth of various AI-based solutions developed in the country.

Thus, he added, strengthening computing capacity must go hand in hand with the development of a national ecosystem so that Indonesia is not only a market for foreign technology, but is able to become one of the important players in the global AI industry.

"We should not only be users, but how can we also become significant players who help determine the direction of the adoption of AI technology in Indonesia," he said.

However, Nezar reminded that Indonesia's success is not only determined by the amount of investment that comes in, but also by the ability to build an integrated AI ecosystem through collaboration between the government, industry, academia, SOEs, communities, and national innovators.

Nezar assessed that Indonesia has very strong capital to achieve this goal, ranging from the availability of critical minerals needed by the AI industry, energy sources to support digital infrastructure, to the demographic bonus that will be the source of future digital talent.

Therefore, Indonesia must be able to build national strength in order to remain resilient in the face of world dynamics while taking advantage of the opportunities that are open.

"The most important thing is how we realize it in strong cooperation and synergistic collaboration so that Indonesia can build an inclusive, capable, and sovereign AI ecosystem," he concluded.