Observer: AI Needs to Be Regulated at the Legal Level

April 20, 2025 | 12:24 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Telecommunications observer and Executive Director of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Institute, Heru Sutadi, believes that regulations regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in Indonesia need to be comprehensively formulated. This comes as AI technology continues to make massive advancements in various sectors.

According to Heru, the establishment of regulations is crucial to ensure the proper direction of AI utilization in Indonesia, while also anticipating potential misuse in the future. "AI indeed needs to be regulated, but first, we need to have a clear vision of its future development, benefits, drawbacks, and challenges, so that comprehensive regulations can be formulated," said Heru when contacted by Tempo on Saturday, April 19, 2025.

He criticizes the existence of circular letters (SE) issued by the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) as the government's initial response. According to Heru, SE does not have a strong legal standing to regulate AI technology in Indonesia. "SE is not recognized in our legislation, so its status is weak, similar to a neighborhood cooperative letter from a neighborhood head," he said.In comparison, Heru mentioned that many other countries have regulated the use of AI through laws. He believes that a similar step should be taken in Indonesia. "In many countries, it is regulated by law. That's what we need to encourage," said Heru.

He emphasizes the importance of involving various parties in the formulation of these regulations to ensure that the results are not only legally sound but also relevant to the needs of the society.

Furthermore, Heru warns that a delay in establishing regulations could pose a significant risk to Indonesia. "AI is rapidly advancing, and if we're late, we will miss the opportunity to optimally utilize it, and there is the fear that AI-based crimes will grow and become more complex," he stated.

Earlier, Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, stated that the government is preparing specific regulations regarding the use of AI. These regulations will be designed within three months by Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital, Nezar Patria.

"This is being worked on by Deputy Minister Nezar, and we have tasked him with it. There is roughly a timeline for this," she said in mid-January. "Within three months, we will also produce the regulations," Meutya continued.

However, Meutya emphasized that Indonesia has already taken the initial step by issuing circular letters related to the utilization of AI. She even claimed that Indonesia is the first country in ASEAN to issue this SE. "Actually, Indonesia is one of the first in ASEAN to have it," said Meutya.

Dede Leni contributed to this article.

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