RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Irene Umar, Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), attended the launch of the AI Economic Impact Report: Building the Future: Shaping Indonesia’s AI Era at the Google & YouTube forum dedicated to AI and the creative economy.

This cross-sector forum brings together government, industry, academia, and the community to optimize the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a manner that is both responsible and globally competitive.

“Artificial Intelligence is not a substitute for human creativity; it is a technology that amplifies it. What we need to prepare is talent capable of leveraging technology, understanding data, and producing work that competes globally. Indonesia must not merely be a technology user but must also become a creator and a player in the global market,” stated the Deputy Minister at the event, held at the Thamrin Nine Ballroom in Jakarta on Thursday, 23 July.

The AI Economic Impact Report, compiled by Google in collaboration with Public First, notes that the use of AI technology has the potential to contribute up to IDR 66 trillion annually in economic value to Indonesia’s creative economy sector.

Furthermore, AI adoption is projected to generate 1.8 million new professional creators by 2035 and unlock creative content export potential of up to IDR 6.7 trillion annually through AI-driven content creation and localization technologies.

According to Irene, the development of the AI ecosystem must be accompanied by an improvement in the quality of creative economy talent. To this end, the Ministry of Creative Economy, in partnership with Google, will launch the Creative Technology Future Talents scholarship program.

A press release received by Voice of Indonesia on Friday, 24 July 2026, stated that this initiative will provide online training in Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Project Management, and Cybersecurity to strengthen the capabilities of Indonesian creators, innovators, and technopreneurs as they navigate digital transformation.

Through this initiative, creative professionals are encouraged to leverage data governance to formulate business strategies, enhance production efficiency, and expand their reach into export markets.

The Deputy Minister for the Creative Economy emphasized that AI development must go hand-in-hand with creator protections—specifically through respect for intellectual property rights—to ensure that innovation and creativity continue to grow sustainably.

Markham Erickson, Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Policy, expressed his appreciation for Indonesia’s immense potential, driven by its young demographic and high rate of digital adoption. He also highlighted the country's thriving creative ecosystem, noting its significant potential for developing an AI-driven digital economy.

"We are committed to partnering with the Indonesian government to build an open, inclusive, and responsible AI ecosystem. When open technology meets Indonesian creativity, we believe we can create more opportunities together for the public, businesses, and the creative economy sector," said Erickson.

Irene emphasized that AI transformation requires investment in foundational areas such as talent development, data utilization, and data-driven decision-making.

She noted that the economic impact of AI adoption is not immediate; therefore, it must be measured over the long term to effectively map out the resulting business opportunities, jobs, and added value.

The Google & YouTube Forum on AI and the Creative Economy serves as a catalyst for strengthening collaboration among the government, Google, academia, industry, and the community.

Together, they aim to build an AI ecosystem that fosters talent development, innovation, and the global competitiveness of Indonesia's creative economy.