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Recognizing the vital role of public leadership in navigating the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK), in collaboration with Microsoft Indonesia and BINAR, held the AI Leadership Workshop: Transforming Smart Governance. Opened by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno, the event was part of the AI-driven Bureaucratic Innovation Month aimed at advancing the adoption of AI to enhance governance efficiency and improve the quality of public services for the Indonesian people, and was attended by Imam Machdi, Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, along with senior officials at the Echelon I and Echelon II levels within Kemenko PMK.
Digital transformation in the public sector now supports government officials in quickly adapting to technological advancements, especially AI. Global studies show that improving digital capacity and AI literacy has become a key factor in accelerating AI adoption in the government sector1. Through this workshop, Kemenko PMK leaders were equipped with strategic understanding of applying AI in data-driven decision-making processes and precision policy formulation. This knowledge is expected to help Kemenko PMK improve the effectiveness and accuracy of its priority programs, making them more responsive to public needs.
“The discussion around AI is no longer about whether we should adopt it or not. It’s about how we can adopt it quickly, effectively, efficiently, and productively,” said Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. He also noted, “Public readiness can be strengthened through precision policy, precision budgeting, and precision innovation. Critical issues such as stunting and digital transformation must be synergized to ensure that public policies are more targeted. Let us strive to work in a more efficient and meaningful way.”
As a technology partner in the AI-Driven Bureaucratic Innovation Month initiated by Kemenko PMK, Microsoft plays an active role in strengthening public leadership in the AI era through Microsoft Elevate—a program designed to advance AI skills across sectors, including government, education, and non-profits. Since its launch, the program has equipped more than 1.2 million participants across Indonesia with AI capabilities to enhance productivity and address challenges in their respective environments. The collaboration with Kemenko PMK marks an important expansion of this initiative, focusing on how AI can serve as an enabler for smarter, more adaptive, and citizen-centered governance.
“Government officials’ ability to understand and responsibly utilize AI can be a key factor towards Indonesia’s success in building an adaptive and inclusive government,” said Dharma Simorangkir, President Director of Microsoft Indonesia. “We appreciate Kemenko PMK’s commitment to strengthening innovation-driven leadership capacity while fostering a culture of continuous learning within the public sector. This initiative demonstrates how technology can be leveraged not only to improve internal efficiency but also to deliver more impactful policies and services for the public.”
Facilitated by Dita Aisyah, Director and Co-Founder of BINAR, the workshop invited participants to reflect on how AI can transform strategic policymaking while maintaining digital wellness among civil servants. Through an interactive session titled “AI for Decision-Making: AI-Driven Leadership for Smarter Governance,” participants explored how Copilot can be utilized to strengthen coordination, synchronization, and control for more effective public policy implementation.
“Through this workshop, we aim to show that adopting AI— including features such as Copilot Chat—can be applied right away to enhance efficiency and decision-making within government,” said Dita Aisyah, Director and Co-Founder of BINAR. “We hope the leaders joining us today will become agents of change by sharing what they’ve learned with their teams and inspiring the practical adoption of AI across Kemenko PMK’s programs. From here, we look forward to seeing new initiatives take shape—ones that can serve as models for other government institutions in adopting technology strategically and with meaningful impact.”
The collaboration between Kemenko PMK, Microsoft, and BINAR represents a concrete step toward realizing the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045 by strengthening digital leadership and enhancing the capacity of public sector officials in the AI era. Microsoft is committed to advancing inclusive digital and AI transformation in Indonesia and supporting the nation’s vision of becoming a global leader in an AI-driven economy.
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1 6 in 10 IT Workers Report Shortage of AI Skills in the Public Sector, Salesforce, 2024
(Left) Dharma Simorangkir, President Director of Microsoft Indonesia; (Center) Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia; and (Right) Dita Aisyah, Director & Co-Founder of BINAR, during the Artificial Intelligence Leadership Workshop at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs office, Tuesday (October 15, 2025).