TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
India, RI face urgent need in developing capacities in new techs
The global economic gravity is gradually shifting towards Asia with the meteoric rise of China and the steady economic growth of India and Indonesia, the second and the third most populous countries in the region
Change Size
T
he global economic gravity is gradually shifting towards Asia with the meteoric rise of China and the steady economic growth of India and Indonesia, the second and the third most populous countries in the region.
However, to fully realize the potential of the Asian Century, both India and Indonesia will also need to look at rapidly propelling their capacities in advanced technologies.
In his address to the House of Representatives on Indonesia’s 73rd Independence Day on Aug. 17, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo stressed on improving Indonesia’s capabilities in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things.
Similarly on Aug. 15, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to commemorate India’s 71st Independence Day, also spoke on India’s plans in technology as he elaborated on the 2022 manned space mission.
Both Asian giants are waking up to the vast possibilities that these emerging technologies have to offer.
Indonesia has taken its initial steps with the unveiling of “Making Indonesia 4.0”, a roadmap encompassing areas such as AI, robotics and the internet of things with a focus on how these technologies can boost manufacturing and local exports.
As for India, between July 2017 and early 2018, the government constituted two artificial intelligence task forces, first under the Ministry for Commerce and the second under the Ministry for Defense.
The Ministry for Information Technology has also set up four committees comprising government representatives, academics, private players as well as eminent researchers to encourage research in AI.
Furthermore, Niti Aayog, a government policy think tank, has released the National Strategy for AI, a comprehensive roadmap for India’s development of AI.
Although these are initial steps in the right direction, there is still much ground to cover. For Indonesia, one pressing challenge is the shortage of a high skilled workforce.
According to Mahatmi P. Saranto, director of labor policy at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), only 1 percent of Indonesian university graduates come from the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
This, coupled with a recent finding by the International Labor Organization, that estimates 60 percent of Indonesia’s workforce is in jobs that risk being automated, skill upgrading cannot be overlooked.
A systematic reworking of the school and higher education curriculum to include subjects regarding these new technologies, and re-training of educators to better equip them in these new areas, could help promote more students to pursue higher education in technology related streams and help diversify the workforce.
India and Indonesia cannot afford to delay the development of indigenous AI research and talent.
Similarly, India lags much behind countries such as China and the United States in fundamental AI research, both in quantity and in quality. Core AI research is carried out in a few institutions and the private sector’s contribution towards applied AI research has also been disappointing.
If India aims to achieve leadership in AI, a cohesive, collaborative effort is needed from all stakeholders — the government, the academia and private sector.
Creation of open platforms for AI learning, providing financial incentives for reskilling of employees in private companies and launching initiatives to reduce costs and increase computing infrastructure will help increase awareness as well as accelerate adoption of AI technologies across different sectors.
However, one must not forget the immense potential of India and Indonesia. With 1.5 million Indian engineers entering the job market each year, and 2.6 million STEM graduates (in 2016), India possesses a large pool of talent.
In Indonesia, according to Leonardo AA Teguh Sambodo, director of industry, tourism and creative economy at Bappenas, there are 48 million users on Instagram and 126 million users on Facebook, all aged 18 to 35 who are engaging in e-commerce, thus generating a plethora of data.
The large number of internet users and a thriving start up eco system presents both countries with an opportunity to strive ahead in AI development. With AI increasingly being recognized as a vital technology, especially with its applications in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, infrastructure and transportation, India and Indonesia cannot afford to delay the development of indigenous AI research and talent.
The two countries must both swiftly adapt to these transformative technologies if they wish to remain competitive and exploit the brimming potential of their young populations; because ultimately, as President Jokowi pointed out, “Today, it is not the big that wins over the small; it is the quick who wins over the slow.”
______________________________
The author is a computer science graduate with a Masters degree in Chinese, and is an independent technology writer.
