The Indonesian government will launch an AI application in August 2025 to support food security and social protection, according to Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid.

At the Machines Can See 2025 forum, Minister Meutya Hafid said the app will use data to track food production and distribution and improve the targeting of social aid.

The government is also working on an AI-based health screening service to enhance healthcare accessibility and aims to build nine million digital talents by 2030.

Minister Meutya Hafid noted that eight million Indonesians abroad, including 20,000 in Silicon Valley, are key contributors to global AI innovation.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg Technoz

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Indonesia’s AI initiative builds on a long-term national strategy

The current AI application for food security isn’t a standalone project but part of Indonesia’s broader AI strategy dating back to 2020, which specifically identified food security as one of five priority sectors alongside health, education, bureaucratic reform, and mobility 1.

This initiative represents a continuity of digital transformation efforts across administrations, with former President Jokowi emphasizing that “whichever country controls AI can potentially control the world” and new President Prabowo maintaining focus on food security 1.

Indonesia’s approach builds on previous successful digital governance examples like Bandung’s implementation of 400+ software applications that saved nearly $200 million through e-budgeting initiatives 2.

The focus on food security through AI continues a pattern of Indonesian cities using technology to address critical urban challenges, as seen in Jakarta’s Smart City program launched in 2014 and similar initiatives in Surabaya and Makassar 3.

2️⃣ Digital talent strategy shifts from “brain drain” to “brain link”

Minister Meutya’s reframing of the Indonesian diaspora (8 million citizens abroad) as a “brain link” rather than “brain drain” signals a strategic shift in how Indonesia views its global talent pool, particularly in relation to AI development.

This approach addresses a documented challenge: Indonesia faces significant skills gaps in its workforce, particularly in digital sectors, with education systems struggling to equip students with necessary skills for available jobs 4.

The target of developing 9 million digital talents by 2030 is ambitious considering that AI adoption in Indonesian workplaces (26%) currently lags behind the Asia-Pacific average (41%) 5.

The focus on establishing AI centers of excellence across diverse regions like Papua demonstrates awareness that previous digital initiatives have struggled with inclusivity and the digital divide, which were identified as key challenges in prior research 6.