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Communications and Digital Minister ensures AI center construction in Papua
WINDONESIA March 13, 2025
Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid observing the results of AI innovations made by vocational high school students at her ministry's BPPTIK Cikarang in Bekasi Regency, West Java on Feb. 19, 2025. (Antara/Livia Kristianti)
Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid ensured that the plan to create an artificial intelligence (AI) center in Papua can be realized through collaboration with global technology companies, following up the minister's direct meeting with Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jansen Huang at the end of 2024. Huang has plans to build an AI center in Eastern Indonesia.
"We are also working together for Papua, most likely Nvidia will also join in. There is a delay in time, we will admit, but this is still on track," she said when met at the Communications and Digital Ministry's Cikarang Information and Communication Technology Training and Development Center (BPPTIK) in Bekasi Regency, West Java on Feb. 17, 2025.
Meutya added that the AI center in Papua Island will later be named the AI Excellence Center, and it is planned to be located in Jayapura Regency, Papua Province. The facility would also hold activities to produce digital talents, such as training to hone digital skills.
"Hopefully in the next month to two months, the AI Excellence Center [could be realized]," she said.
Previously, it was reported that at the Indonesia AI Day event held on Nov. 14, 2024 that Nvidia has committed to build an AI development center in Java and Papua through a partnership with Ooredoo SC and Hutchison Asia Telecom Group telecommunications joint venture PT Indosat Tbk (Indosat Ooredoo Hutchinson).
At that time, the Minister of Communication and Digital who met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated that Indonesia's partnership with global AI industry players such as Nvidia could also help accelerate the implementation of digital transformation in Indonesia.
Jensen Huang's presence in Indonesia is also considered to prove Indonesia's great potential in developing the AI industry.
"I believe it means a lot to us, especially young people in Indonesia, which gives us confidence that Indonesia is seen as one of the possible global players in the AI industry," said Meutya.
