JAKARTA – Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that Indonesia has secured the opportunity to be directly involved in shaping global artificial intelligence (AI) governance after becoming one of the founding members of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO).
According to Airlangga, this founding member status grants Indonesia early access to participate in discussions regarding the future development of global AI. He emphasized that this step is crucial to ensure Indonesia does not fall behind in technological advancements projected to be a game-changer for the global economy.
“By becoming a founder, we certainly have first-hand access to all conversations regarding the development of AI itself,” Airlangga said during a virtual press conference from Shanghai, China, on Friday (July 17).
He explained that Indonesia’s participation in founding WAICO aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive for the country to play an active role in global AI governance.
He noted that Indonesia also aims to ensure that AI development is inclusive, safe, ethical, and free from monopolization by any single power.
“Indonesia cares deeply about the development of AI that is inclusive, safe, ethical, and not monopolized by a particular force,” he stated.
Airlangga mentioned that WAICO was established within the framework of the United Nations (UN), ensuring that AI development remains aligned with UN principles—namely inclusive, safe, trustworthy, and human-centered.
He added that Indonesia’s presence as a founding member also serves as an opportunity to bridge the technological divide at the global level.
“AI is expected to be a bridge, not a digital divide, but a bridge for togetherness,” he said.
In addition to strengthening Indonesia’s position in global AI governance, Airlangga believes that the development of this technology will serve as a driver for national digital economic growth.
He noted that Indonesia’s digital economy value currently reaches USD 130 billion and is projected to rise to USD 366 billion by 2030. Furthermore, the implementation of regional digital economic cooperation through the ASEAN Digital Economic Framework Agreement (DEFA) could potentially push Indonesia’s digital economic value to around USD 600 billion.
“For Indonesia, the potential of this digital economy is up to USD 130 billion this year and will reach USD 366 billion by 2030. Indonesia’s potential also ranges from USD 400 billion to USD 600 billion,” Airlangga stated.
He explained that DEFA is targeted for signing during the Philippines’ chairmanship this year. Through this agreement, ASEAN’s digital economy value is projected to increase from around USD 1 trillion to USD 2 trillion.
Previously, Indonesia officially supported the establishment of WAICO by signing the organization’s founding document during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 in Shanghai, China.
The document represents an agreement among signatory countries to establish WAICO as an independent intergovernmental international organization with international legal personality. All countries that sign the document will hold the status of founders as well as members of the organization.
During his visit to Shanghai, Airlangga also attended high-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Secretary-General António Guterres prior to signing the declaration establishing WAICO.
