Indonesia could drive 40 per cent of Southeast Asia’s digital economy growth
The government is preparing infrastructure, talent and regulations to support digital growth and address risks from artificial intelligence.
Indonesia has the potential to provide 40 per cent of Southeast Asia’s digital economy growth, according to Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria. Speaking on 30 October 2026, he cited a projection that Indonesia’s digital economy would reach US$365 billion in 2030.
At the Road to CNBC Indonesia Awards 2026 ‘Best AI Ecosystem’ event, Nezar said government preparations included infrastructure and collaboration to develop the digital economy ecosystem. He also highlighted work on talent and regulatory measures to mitigate risks associated with artificial intelligence adoption.
Nezar singled out finance and healthcare as sectors where safeguards were needed. He said AI should not make financial decisions because of the risk of systemic disruption, while medical diagnoses continued to require healthcare professionals.
He also cautioned that using agentic AI meant granting systems authority to make decisions. Errors could have fatal consequences and potentially create systemic disruption, he said.
