JAKARTA, (Pakistan Point News - 18th Jul, 2026) Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto underscored that artificial intelligence (AI) can become a "game-changer" for Indonesia's economy.
Speaking in Shanghai on Friday evening, he stressed that Indonesia can move forward alongside other nations by leveraging AI.
Hartarto noted that Indonesia's digital economy is projected to reach US$135 billion by 2026 and surge to US$366 billion by 2030.
This, he said, aligns with Indonesia's proposal under the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which is expected to be signed during the Philippine chairmanship this year.
"This framework will double ASEAN's digital economy from US$1 trillion to US$2 trillion, while further boosting Indonesia's own potential from US$400 billion to US$600 billion," Hartarto said as quoted by Indonesian news agency (ANTARA).
According to Hartarto, developing the digital economy and AI is not new for Indonesia, as the government launched the Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap in 2018, which included AI as a core component.
"AI has the potential to boost Indonesia's revenue. Under a business-as-usual scenario, its potential reaches up to US$400 billion by 2030, but if implemented alongside the digital economy framework, that figure could climb to US$2 trillion," he added.
"Additionally, as a signatory country of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), Indonesia is classified as a founding member of the organisation, granting us direct access to high-level discussions regarding AI development," the minister emphasised.
On Thursday, Hartarto represented Indonesia at the signing ceremony for the founding declaration of the WAICO in Shanghai.
He noted that by leveraging WAICO, Indonesia can expand opportunities for technology transfers, investment, and AI research center development, as well as enhance the productivity and competitiveness of local startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs
