BINUS UNIVERSITY Launches AI Major Ready to Face the Global Economy

JAKARTA - Artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence/AI) is no longer just a technological innovation, but has evolved into a new driver of global economic growth. In various countries, AI is used to increase productivity, accelerate innovation, to give birth to new business models and professions. This change is also beginning to change the needs of the world of work, while presenting new questions for many parents who are preparing their children to enter college.

If previously the consideration of choosing a major was more based on interest or a profession that was popular, now a more fundamental question arises: will the competencies learned today still be relevant when the child graduates in four or five years?

The question becomes increasingly important as the use of AI expands in almost all sectors. Generative AI, AI Agent, to various forms of automation are now used in the financial, health, manufacturing, education, law, communications, and creative economy industries. AI is no longer a technology that is only used by technology companies, but has become part of business transformation in various fields.

This change also encourages the birth of the AI Economy, a phase when the ability to utilize and develop artificial intelligence becomes one of the determining factors for the competitiveness of individuals, companies, and countries. At the same time, the need for professions such as AI Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, AI Product Specialist, AI Consultant, and various new roles that combine AI with business and industry continues to increase.

Interestingly, the ability to understand AI is no longer limited to prospective programmers. Legal practitioners are beginning to use AI to help analyze documents, health workers use it as a support for diagnosis, companies optimize customer service with AI, while the creative industry uses it in the content production process. This condition shows that AI literacy is beginning to develop into a basic competence that is needed across disciplines.

For parents, this change is a reminder that choosing a college is no longer just choosing a major, but choosing a learning ecosystem that is able to prepare children for an ever-evolving profession. Higher education is required not only to teach theory, but also to build critical thinking skills, cross-disciplinary collaboration, industry experience, and an understanding of the responsible use of AI.

Indonesia itself is in a strategic momentum. The demographic bonus provides a great opportunity to produce a large number of productive talents, while the development of the digital economy opens up the need for human resources with AI competencies. The challenge is how the education world is able to bridge the needs of the industry with the competencies possessed by its graduates.

Responding to this change, BINUS University continues to strengthen its commitment in preparing Indonesian digital talent through expanding access to Artificial Intelligence education. After previously presenting the Artificial Intelligence Program at BINUS @Kemanggisan and BINUS @Alam Sutera, BINUS University is now expanding the program to BINUS @Bekasi, BINUS @Bandung, BINUS @Malang, and BINUS University @Semarang. Meanwhile, the Computer Science Program at BINUS @Medan also strengthens the focus of learning on Artificial Intelligence.

This step is part of BINUS University's efforts to expand access to quality AI education, so that more prospective students from various regions can obtain competencies that match industry needs without having to move cities.

The Rector of BINUS University, Dr. Nelly, S.Kom., M.M., said that the expansion of the Artificial Intelligence Program is part of BINUS' commitment to preparing the younger generation for changes triggered by technological developments.

"The decision to present the Artificial Intelligence Program at various BINUS campuses is part of our commitment in the spirit of 'Fostering and Empowering the Society'. We want to ensure that more and more Indonesian young generations have the same opportunity to master future technology, so that they can become innovators who have a positive impact on society," said Dr. Nelly.

BINUS University considers that AI education is not focused solely on technical skills. Therefore, the Artificial Intelligence curriculum is designed multidisciplinary by combining mathematical foundations, data science, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics, while equipping students with an understanding of AI ethics, communication, and business aspects.

In addition to classroom learning, students also gain experience through real projects and collaboration with industry to understand how AI is applied to answer the challenges faced by the workforce.

Dean of the School of Computer Science at BINUS University, Prof. Dr. Ir. Derwin Suhartono, S.Kom., M.T.I., assessed that the public's view of AI needs to change. According to him, the most important question today is no longer whether AI will replace humans, but whether young people have the competence to work side by side with AI.

"AI is no longer a future technology, but a part of our lives today. Therefore, what needs to be prepared is not only the ability to use various AI tools, but also the ability to understand how it works, evaluate the results, develop AI-based solutions, and implement them responsibly to answer various challenges in society and industry. That is why today's AI education must combine a strong academic foundation, industry experience, and cross-disciplinary learning," explained Prof. Derwin.

In the midst of global economic changes that are increasingly influenced by AI, the best investment that parents can prepare for their children is not only choosing majors that are in demand today, but ensuring that they acquire competencies that will remain relevant in the future. Through the expansion of the Artificial Intelligence Program at its various campuses, BINUS University is committed to helping produce more Indonesian AI talents who are adaptive, innovative, and able to contribute to building the national digital economy and competing globally.