In December 2024, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) teamed up with Microsoft to launch the ElevAIte Indonesia initiative. This ambitious project aims to equip one million Indonesians with essential artificial intelligence (AI) skills by 2025. The goal is to foster collaboration across various sectors and enhance the country's global position by harnessing the power of AI.

ElevAIte Indonesia will involve partnerships between government agencies, businesses, educational institutions, and communities. The program is designed to help connect Indonesian talent with new opportunities arising from AI technology, which can improve productivity, creativity, job quality, and accelerate innovation.

Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital, emphasized the importance of a cautious approach in utilizing AI, given its growing impact on all aspects of life. "Modern technologies like AI require leaders to be wiser, more patient, and more accommodating. The potential of AI is immense, but we must manage its challenges carefully," she said.

The initiative is based on a collaborative approach, involving multiple stakeholders from various sectors to ensure responsible AI use. Meutya stressed that AI should not be leveraged unilaterally. "We need synergy from the government, industry players, and society. Through programs like ElevAIte Indonesia, we want to show how AI can strengthen the national ecosystem while maintaining ethical values and the common good."

ElevAIte Indonesia reflects this collaborative effort and is set to address the rising demand for AI skills in the workforce. According to the 2024 Work Trend Index report by Microsoft and LinkedIn, 69% of leaders in Indonesia state they will not hire anyone without AI skills, and 76% are more likely to hire candidates with less experience but strong AI proficiency.

Dharma Simorangkir, President and Director of Microsoft Indonesia, explained, "With nearly 70% of Indonesia's population in the productive age group, equipping them with the right AI skills is critical. Through ElevAIte, we will focus on responsible AI adoption—using tools to work more efficiently and developing solutions that can tackle pressing national challenges."

To meet its goal of training one million individuals by 2025, ElevAIte Indonesia will focus on five key pillars. The first is preparing government institutions to enhance national AI competence, including training civil servants and bolstering cybersecurity capabilities. The second pillar aims to integrate AI into Indonesia's key industries, supporting businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation.

The third pillar will focus on embedding AI skills in the education sector, both for educators and students, with a particular focus on generating a new wave of developers. Indonesia is already one of the largest communities of GitHub developers in Asia Pacific, with a 31% growth rate from 2022 to 2023. The fourth pillar will target marginalized communities, ensuring AI skills reach underserved groups, including women, people with disabilities, and those in remote areas.

The final pillar focuses on democratizing AI education, ensuring that every individual has access to AI learning. As part of ElevAIte, Microsoft launched the AI Skills Navigator, a platform that brings together AI learning content from Microsoft Learn and LinkedIn Learning, tailored to individual needs and preferences. A Bahasa Indonesia version will be available soon.

Rashvin Pal Singh, CEO of Biji-biji Initiative, shared his excitement about the program: “We've seen firsthand how AI training has improved the lives of many participants. With ElevAIte, we hope to expand this success with an integrated and measurable approach.”

Narenda Wicaksono, CEO of Dicoding, emphasized the importance of AI skills: "We believe that with the right AI capabilities, individuals and organizations can create innovative solutions that have a positive impact. We are excited to partner with Kemkomdigi, Microsoft, and the broader digital ecosystem to bring this initiative to life."

Meutya Hafid concluded by quoting President Prabowo Subianto, highlighting the need for balance in technology use. "Great technological advancements require leaders to be wise and accommodating. Technology can bring great progress, but it also carries risks that must be carefully managed. Collaboration and communication are key."

With these principles in mind, ElevAIte Indonesia aims to be a strategic step towards building an inclusive and empowered digital ecosystem.