AI can help digitally transform the public sector.
Challenges
AI Solutions
Indonesia has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the Asia-Pacific region, and unlike in many economies, this has been declining in recent years.
Helping improve the productivity of public sector workers.
AI can help take over or reduce the time taken to complete administrative tasks. For example, one study13 found that using a generative AI tool could reduce the time taken to complete a writing task by 40%, while increasing quality by 18%.
Rural areas, in particular, in Indonesia have struggled with low doctor-to-patient and teacher-to-student ratios.
Helping identify emerging health conditions earlier, and support students without access to an adequate education.
AI can help diagnose and flag patients who need to see a doctor, and help pupils wherever they live with individualised learning.
At the same time, the country’s public governance has struggled with bureaucratic complexity and burdensome regulation, with the current administration promising to do more to increase transparency.
Increasing efficiency, compliance & transparency.
AI can automatically monitor, flag irregularities and facilitate communication between different parts of the public and private sectors. Over the next five years, government agencies and state-owned enterprises in Indonesia could benefit from a cumulative Rp 26 trillion (US$1.7 billion) in efficiency gains and cost savings through their adoption of enterprise-grade AI platforms and tools.
In total, we estimate that AI could help increase productivity in the public sector in Indonesia by over
AI could save time for public sector workers.
Indonesian public sector workers are overwhelmingly positive about the role AI will play on public services. 9 in 10 Indonesian public sector workers told us they think the expanded use of AI will have a positive impact on their country, and that AI tools will be important to the public sector over the next decade.
of public sector workers think AI will help reduce time spent filling out basic paperwork.
of public sector workers think that AI will complement existing roles, allowing employees to be redeployed to other tasks or work fewer hours.
of public sector workers would be interested in training to help them use AI tools.
By 2030, we estimate that advancements in AI could save public workers in Indonesia over 60 hours a year through the automation of administrative tasks.
AI can make it easier to treat emerging health conditions earlier.
Between 2000 and 2020, life expectancy in Indonesia rose from 66 to 72 years, while the under-five mortality rate more than halved. Over 90% of the population are now covered by National Health Insurance, and the share of out-of-pocket expenditure has fallen rapidly.
However, significant problems remain from the country’s combined challenges of high rates of infectious diseases alongside rising rates of chronic diseases, and continued health worker shortages in rural areas. Doctor-to-patient ratios remain significantly below WHO recommended levels. Over 70% of cancer cases are only identified at a later stage, contributing to poorer survival rates.
AI has many potential use cases in healthcare:
Giving doctors a second opinion, or flagging urgent cases.
AI-powered chatbots can ask basic questions to assess symptoms and triage patients who need to see a doctor urgently. This can be particularly helpful in rural areas where no existing doctors are on sites. 67% of Indonesians we surveyed supported the use of AI to help detect and diagnose illnesses in patients.
Performing scans and diagnostic tests.
AI can help interpret imaging and radiology scans, or analyse the results back from tests. In Indonesia, those tools have been piloted to help with the detection of chest abnormalities, while Google Research is exploring globally the use of AI to help identify diseases including tuberculosis, lung cancer and anemia.
Drawing on data from wearables to identify emerging health conditions when they are still treatable.
For example, in Indonesia, we estimate that AI could help save 28,000 lives from earlier detection of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus or hyperlipidaemia.
Helping warn of emerging public health outbreaks.
For example, in Indonesia, ExplainDengue uses AI to help integrate diverse datasets and better predict where dengue fever outbreaks may take place.
Google Cloud
is supporting the digital health transformation in Indonesia.
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia is expanding its collaboration with Google Cloud to support the development of Generative AI innovations specific to healthcare, in line with the goals set out in the Indonesian government’s blueprint for digital health transformation and the Indonesia Digital Vision 2045 initiative.
Since the collaboration between the two organisations began in 2022, Google Cloud has created a safe and secure environment to test enterprise-grade and medically tailored AI gene innovations, allowing them to be tailored to meet the healthcare needs of the Indonesian people.
“At the Ministry of Health, we are committed to making healthcare information accessible to every individual, simplifying systems for healthcare professionals so they can focus on patient care, and strengthening the healthcare ecosystem through responsible innovation. As we work to advance the adoption of AI, balancing innovation with ethical considerations is critical to success. By adhering to responsible AI principles and practices, we can ensure that we are harnessing the potential of AI while safeguarding the well-being of society. We thank Google Cloud for providing a safe testing environment for its healthcare AI innovations, and look forward to exploring further applications of this technology to empower healthier and more fulfilling lives across Indonesia.”
Setiaji
Chief Digital Transformation Office, Ministry of Health
This latest collaboration is part of the Ministry of Health’s goal to improve access, experience, and outcomes of healthcare services for every individual in Indonesia, and complements ongoing efforts with Google Cloud to improve processes in the healthcare sector in Indonesia.
“Gen AI has the potential to transform healthcare, but choosing the right solution is critical. As Google Cloud brings new AI advancements to our products, our commitment is twofold: to provide powerful assistance capabilities, and to ensure our technology includes the right protections for organisations, their users, and the public. Our collaboration with the Ministry of Health is critical to the growth of safe and secure gen AI solutions in Indonesia’s healthcare sector, paving the way for on-demand access to health information and more precise diagnoses or treatment plans while maintaining the privacy and security of patient data.”
Fanly Tanto
Country Director, Indonesia, Google Cloud
AI tutors can help support students without access to an adequate education.
Over the last twenty years, Indonesia has made significant advances in expanding the coverage of its education system, with nearly all children now attending primary and secondary education. At the same time, however, the country has struggled to improve teaching quality at the same rate, with the country’s educational performance only in the bottom 10% on internationally comparable PISA tests.14 In regional areas, in particular, there can be challenges with coverage or teacher absenteeism, with 10% of teachers sometimes not present at schools.
While AI cannot fully replace a human teacher, it has significant potential to help support both teachers and students:
For teachers, AI could help support with marking, lesson planning and other administrative tasks. That frees up teachers to spend more time directly with their students. In our modelling, we estimate that AI could help save time in around 20% of teaching tasks.
For students, AI driven learning platforms and tutors could help provide personalised teaching and around the clock instruction. This could enable 30 million people in Indonesia who we estimate do not currently have access to a full secondary education to boost their skills. Early studies have already shown these can be effective in real word settings – with one pilot in Ghana finding that an AI-powered maths tutor was able to provide the equivalent of an extra year of education for Rp 83,200 (US$5) per student. In Indonesia, similar solutions are already being experimented with by local companies such as Sekolah.mu.
of Indonesians told us they would be interested in trying an AI tutor.
Gemini Academy
is helping teachers build their confidence with AI.
In October 2023, Indonesia became the first country to launch Gemini Academy, Google’s training program for teachers designed to build AI literacy, promote safe and responsible use of AI and provide hands-on practice. Over the past year, the program has trained 186,000 teachers across 35 provinces, equipping them with AI skills to enhance learning experiences.
- 98% of teachers reported increased confidence in using AI.
- 99% stated that AI has reduced their workload, making lesson planning more efficient.
Tarwiyatul Laila, a teacher from Pamekasan 1 Senior High School in East Java, shared how AI enhanced creativity in the classroom, stating:
“The art of stringing words together in AI prompts is a skill that encourages us to think critically and creatively.”
Meanwhile, Junita Afni, a teacher in North Sumatra, highlighted AI’s impact on student engagement:
“By understanding AI, teachers can increase efficiency and create more engaging activities, ultimately improving student learning outcomes.”
With strong teacher adoption and tangible classroom benefits, Gemini Academy is paving the way for AI-powered education in Indonesia, empowering educators to innovate and inspire students.