Indonesia’s digital data and public content are now considered a key foundation for global artificial intelligence development, prompting the government to prepare regulatory measures to protect citizens’ rights and economic value, Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Nezar Patria said during the Indonesia–Finland Roundtable on Data Sovereignty and Cyber Resilience in South Jakarta (02/03).

He stressed that the state must ensure that the economic value generated from Indonesian data is not lost to other parties.

Indonesian Digital Activity Becomes Raw Material for Global AI

Nezar explained that data is no longer just personal information but the primary raw material of artificial intelligence systems.

Digital activities — from location data and conversations to social media posts — leave traces that are processed into business models and high-value AI systems.

He noted that global platforms such as Google, Meta, and TikTok collect and process data on a massive scale.

“Platform global seperti Google, Meta, dan TikTok mengumpulkan dan mengolah data dalam skala besar. Data tersebut kemudian dimanfaatkan untuk pengembangan teknologi berbasis big data dan kecerdasan buatan,” he stated.

Public Content and Journalism Also at Risk of Unfair AI Use

The issue, he said, extends beyond personal data protection. Public content, including journalistic works and academic writing, could also be used to train AI systems without fair mechanisms.

Nezar cited steps taken by The New York Times, which restricted access to its content after it was used to train AI systems such as those developed by OpenAI.

The dispute shows that writing style and news content hold economic value and intellectual property rights.

“Jika tidak diatur, karya jurnalis, akademisi, dan kreator Indonesia bisa menjadi bahan latih AI global tanpa kesepakatan yang jelas. Nilai tambahnya dinikmati pihak lain,” he emphasized.

Government Reviews Regulation and Strengthens Cyber Resilience

The Ministry of Communication and Digital is reviewing the national regulatory framework to address new technological challenges, including artificial intelligence.

The government is also studying data governance practices from the European Union, which prioritize citizen rights protection in digital regulation.

In addition to data sovereignty, Nezar underlined the importance of cyber resilience. The government is preparing specific regulations to serve as a legal umbrella to protect the national digital architecture from evolving cyber threats.

“Negara yang mampu mengelola dan mengendalikan data akan memiliki posisi tawar lebih kuat dalam ekonomi digital global. Kita tidak boleh hanya menjadi pasar. Kita harus memastikan data warga negara memberi manfaat nyata bagi bangsa,” he said.

The Indonesia–Finland forum serves as a platform to exchange best practices on strengthening data sovereignty and cyber resilience, reinforcing Indonesia’s effort to place public interest at the center of national digital governance.

PHOTO: FREEPIK

This article was created with AI assistance.

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