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.
GARUDA program set to empower 100,000 civil servants with AI skills
The GARUDA Program, a collaboration between Binar, the BUMN Foundation and Microsoft, will equip 100,000 civil servants with AI expertise.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Future innovation: A doll is posed in a gesture beneath the words 'artificial Intelligence' in this illustration photo taken on March 31, 2023. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
T
he Artificial Intelligence Movement for National Sovereignty Resilience (GARUDA) program, a collaboration initiated by tech firm Binar and the State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Foundation, is set to educate 100,000 civil servants with AI technology materials provided by Microsoft.
This program serves as a strategic initiative to strengthen national resilience through AI utilization.
“Binar’s vision is to be a facilitator in AI transformation. The GARUDA program is a concrete step toward realizing that goal,” Binar president director Alamanda Shantika Santoso said in Jakarta on Wednesday, as reported by Antara news agency.
Alamanda said that Indonesia currently ranks 38th out of 120 countries in terms of civil servant performance.
Equipping civil servants with AI skills is a strategic move to enhance competitiveness on a global scale, she added.
According to the official GARUDA program registration website, the program includes key AI learning, “weBinars” with experts and an AI Hackathon.
The AI Hackathon is held in collaboration with impact investment ecosystems, including venture capital from both within and outside the BUMN network.
The top three social enterprises with AI-driven ideas will receive grants to bring their innovations to life.
Read also: Indonesia to build AI chatbot modeled on China’s DeepSeek: Luhut
Beyond training civil servants, the government is actively working to expand the domestic digital talent pool, aiming to reach 9 million tech experts by 2030.
Second Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Nezar Patria said his ministry collaborated with various technology companies, communities and universities. The companies included Microsoft, Google, IBM, Amazon, Alibaba, Huawei and ZTE.
"We are collaborating with various communities to provide training and enhance the capacity of our digital talents," Nezar said, as quoted by cnbcindonesia.com.
The ministry has introduced several initiatives for digital talent education, including the Digital Talent Scholarship, which was launched in 2020.
Over the past four years, 654,083 individuals have participated in the training, with 572,000 successfully completing the program and earning certification.
