AI Skills Are Now Core HR Strategy in Indonesia
Indonesia is entering a window of opportunity. A larger share of the workforce will be in the productive age bracket by 2035, and AI tools are spreading fast across roles and industries.
Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria stressed that developing AI capability across human resources is no longer optional. He also urged technology independence, so the way we build and use AI fits local values and needs.
Why this matters for HR
- By 2035, up to 70% of the population will be aged 16-65. HR must turn this demographic bonus into real productivity.
- Generative AI is moving into daily workflows. Employees need skills to use it well and safely.
- Relying only on imported tools risks value mismatch. Companies should grow local capability and context-aware practices.
A 90-day HR action plan
Days 0-30: Set the foundation
- Run a quick skills audit: who uses data, who writes, who codes, who serves customers. Map where AI can assist now.
- Update job descriptions to include AI literacy and data responsibility for relevant roles.
- Pick 2-3 high-frequency tasks (reports, emails, drafts, customer responses) for AI pilots with clear guardrails.
- Form an AI working group (HR, IT, Legal, Ops) to set basic guidelines on privacy, security, and acceptable use.
Days 31-60: Build capability
- Launch role-based learning paths: basic AI literacy for all staff, deeper skills for analysts, product, and tech teams.
- Train "AI champions" in each department to support adoption and share wins and pitfalls.
- Introduce an internal process for testing AI tools: data handling rules, risk checks, and performance benchmarks.
- Start a small internal dataset initiative (with consent and anonymization) for local language and industry terms.
Days 61-90: Operationalize
- Scale the pilots that show clear time savings or quality gains. Sunset the ones that don't.
- Bake AI usage into performance goals where relevant (e.g., first-draft automation, research summaries, QA checks).
- Set a quarterly review: skills metrics, tool performance, compliance issues, and ROI.
- Plan hiring or upskilling for key roles (see below) based on gaps found in the first 60 days.
Roles to prioritize (hire or upskill)
- Data Analyst / BI Analyst: builds dashboards, tests prompt patterns, checks output quality.
- ML Engineer / Data Engineer: connects data sources, fine-tunes models, improves pipelines.
- AI Product Manager: translates business needs into workable AI use cases and measurable outcomes.
- AI Governance Lead: sets policy on privacy, fairness, and audit trails; partners with Legal and IT.
- Learning Designer: creates short, job-based AI learning modules and assessments.
Build AI with local values in mind
- Use Bahasa Indonesia and local context in datasets to reduce misinterpretation in outputs.
- Document cultural and compliance boundaries: topics to avoid, consent rules, and escalation paths.
- Review vendor contracts for data usage and model training terms. Protect employee and customer data.
- Create feedback loops: allow staff to report biased or unfit outputs and track fixes.
Metrics HR can track
- Adoption: % of employees trained; weekly active users for approved tools.
- Efficiency: hours saved per team; cycle time reductions for key tasks.
- Quality: output accuracy rates; rework rates before vs. after AI assistance.
- Compliance: data incidents; audit results; policy exceptions.
- Talent: time-to-hire for AI-critical roles; internal mobility into AI-adjacent roles.
Programs and resources
- National training: Explore Indonesia's Digital Talent programs for scalable upskilling pathways. Kominfo Digital Talent Scholarship
- Curated learning for teams: See role-based AI courses and certifications you can roll out by job family. Courses by Job and Latest AI Courses
What Nezar Patria's message means for HR
The signal is clear: build capable people who can use and create with AI, and do it in a way that fits Indonesia's identity. That requires skills, guardrails, and momentum inside every company.
Start with small wins, measure everything, and grow what works. HR is in the best position to make this real-across roles, across regions, and across the next decade.
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