Meutya Hafid, the minister of communication and digital affairs, emphasized the Indonesian government’s dedication to promoting women’s involvement in the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in order to produce a wider range of solutions and stop the reproduction of bias.

She stated “The current data shows that women’s involvement in AI development and leadership is still far from ideal,” in a webinar monitored here on Saturday.

In order to guarantee that women have equal access to and opportunities in the AI sector, she reaffirmed that the government would increase cooperation with academics, business leaders, and international organizations.

She also highlighted the challenges and risks of AI adoption to women workers. According to Hafid, automation driven by AI can threaten jobs that so far have been dominated by women.

She cautioned “If we do not take the right step, the digital divide between men and women could widen further.”

In light of this, she underlined the significance of creating an AI environment that is not only cutting edge but also moral, inclusive, and advantageous for all Indonesians.

According to the minister, the government has put in place a number of initiatives to encourage moral and inclusive digital transformation in addition to boosting women’s participation.

To ensure the protection of public data, the government passed the Personal Data Protection Law. Furthermore, it has released an AI Ethics Circular that highlights the significance of the non-discrimination, transparency, and inclusivity values in the advancement of AI technology.

In order to guarantee that every citizen has an equal opportunity to use technology, the government has also expanded internet access nationwide in order to create digital infrastructure and AI literacy.

“The movement of covering millions of citizens is strengthened by the focus on AI literacy, including for women and vulnerable groups so that they are not left behind in the automation era,” she remarked.