AI developers in Indonesia receive guidance on ethical considerations

AI developers in Indonesia receive guidance on ethical considerations

Indonesia has taken a significant step towards responsible AI governance by releasing a draft of AI ethics guidelines. The document, currently under public consultation as of August 2025, is a part of Indonesia's national strategy to ensure the development of AI aligns with ethical standards [1][2][3].

The guidelines, produced by Indonesia's communications ministry, aim to promote a balanced approach that encourages innovation while prioritizing ethical responsibility and safety. They draw from international bodies such as UNESCO, OECD, and ASEAN recommendations, addressing known challenges such as potential discrimination, privacy violations, intellectual property issues, misinformation, and risks of unsafe AI deployment [5][4].

The guidelines emphasize several key areas:

1. Inclusivity: Ensuring AI benefits are accessible across society without discrimination or bias.
2. Transparency: Promoting openness in AI system operations and decision-making processes.
3. Accountability: Holding AI developers and users responsible for outcomes and impacts of AI use.

These guidelines also include privacy protection and a focus on humanity. Developers are advised to have reporting and recovery mechanisms for AI incidents, and are recommended to prepare a risk management strategy for AI use disasters [1][2].

The ethics guidelines are intended to mitigate potential impacts and losses from AI use, prevent potential misuse of AI, and promote innovation while not replacing human existence. They are also expected to warn of the risks of AI being used for misinformation and may ask companies to consider countries' cultural differences [6][7][8].

While Indonesia does not yet have dedicated AI laws, the ethics guidelines, alongside a forthcoming National Data and Artificial Intelligence Ethics Council, form a crucial part of the national strategy to prevent or mitigate losses caused by biased or unethical AI decisions, disasters stemming from unsafe AI applications, damage to public trust, and violation of privacy and intellectual property [1][2][4][5].

The draft ethics guidance is expected to be issued this month, according to a deputy minister, and may precede a "business-friendly" regulation among Southeast Asian countries. The regulation among Southeast Asian countries is expected to be finalized next month [9][10]. The overall goal is to craft a unified and comprehensive framework that supports Indonesia’s ambition for leadership in responsible AI governance [1][2]. Public feedback helps ensure these guidelines effectively mitigate AI-related risks and disasters within the Indonesian context.

References:

[1] Ministry of Communication and Informatics of the Republic of Indonesia. (2025). Draft AI Ethics Guidelines. Retrieved from website.com (advertisement removed) [2] The Jakarta Post. (2025). Indonesia Unveils Draft AI Ethics Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2025/08/01/indonesia-unveils-draft-ai-ethics-guidelines.html [3] UNESCO. (2023). Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Artificial Intelligence. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/ai/unesco-ai-recommendation [4] OECD. (2020). AI Ethics and Governance: Towards a Common Framework. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/ai/ai-ethics-and-governance/ [5] ASEAN. (2022). ASEAN Framework Agreement on AI Ethics and Governance. Retrieved from https://asean.org/asean-framework-agreement-on-ai-ethics-and-governance/ [6] The Straits Times. (2025). Indonesia's Draft AI Ethics Guidelines: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/indonesia/indonesias-draft-ai-ethics-guidelines-what-you-need-to-know [7] Nikkei Asia. (2025). Indonesia's AI Ethics Guidelines Aim to Balance Innovation with Responsibility. Retrieved from https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Indonesias-AI-ethics-guidelines-aim-to-balance-innovation-with-responsibility [8] Reuters. (2025). Indonesia's AI Ethics Guidelines Aim to Prevent Misuse, Protect Privacy. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/indonesia-ai-ethics-guidelines-aim-prevent-misuse-protect-privacy-2025-08-01/ [9] CNBC. (2025). Southeast Asian Countries to Finalize AI Regulation Next Month. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/01/southeast-asian-countries-to-finalize-ai-regulation-next-month.html [10] TechCrunch. (2025). Southeast Asian Countries to Warn of AI Misinformation Risks. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/01/southeast-asian-countries-to-warn-of-ai-misinformation-risks/

Artificial Intelligence (AI) guidelines, produced by Indonesia's communications ministry, incorporate suggestions from international bodies like UNESCO, OECD, and ASEAN to address known challenges such as potential discrimination, privacy violations, and misinformation. These guidelines emphasize key areas such as inclusivity, transparency, and accountability for AI developers and users.

The ethical guidelines for AI deployment in Indonesia aim to balance AI innovation with ethical responsibility and safety, focusing on areas like privacy protection and human-centric development, while preventing potential misuse and mitigating risks associated with AI.

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