Telecommunications company Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison has expressed commitment to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) center in Solo, Central Java, with further plans to expand to Jakarta and Jayapura.
CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Vikram Sinha, announced the plan during the Indonesia AI Day 2024 event, noting that the company has requested three key areas of support from the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration to realize this project.
“To establish a sovereign AI foundation, we need support for policies and incentives, increased partnerships to accelerate AI adoption, and digital talent development,” Vikram said, on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
The Solo AI Center will be located at Solo Technopark, and international companies, including Google, Nvidia, and Northstar, have expressed commitment to its development.
Minister of Communication and Digital Application (Komdigi), Meutya Hafid, has indicated that Indosat aims to open the Jayapura center by early 2025, reinforcing the ministry’s goal to decentralize AI development across Indonesia.
Nvidia, in particular, plans to invest approximately US$200 million (Rp3 trillion). The facility will feature four key components:
- Sandbox: A program for startup incubation and acceleration;
- Talent Training Center: Aimed at building digital skills;
- Research Center: A center of excellence focused on AI research;
- Expert Meeting Space: A hub for collaboration among AI experts.
Vikram Sinha also mentioned potential AI centers in Jakarta and Jayapura.
“We’re starting with Solo, but we also want to expand to Jakarta and, importantly, to Jayapura to ensure no region is left behind in digital advancement,” he said.