Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Information Center at UIN Jakarta: Promoting AI Governance on Campus

Main Auditorium, UIN News Online - Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta inaugurated the launch of a new institution called the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy and Information Center and held a seminar entitled “AI, Challenge or Opportunity?” on Thursday (28/11/2024). 

The event was attended by the Vice Chancellor for Cooperation, Din Wahid M.A., Ph.D., Expert Staff of the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi), Wijaya Kusumawardhana, Expert Self-Help Activist of Komdigi, Hari Purwadi, Expert Staff of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), Aziz Hakim, Kitiran Foundation, Sabrang Damar Panuluh, Indonesia Artificial Intelligence, Erik Supit, and Head of the Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Information Center, Khodijah Hulliyah, M.Si, Ph, D.. 

In his speech, the Vice Rector for Cooperation, Din Wahid M.A., Ph.D., emphasized the importance of literacy in the use of AI. He shared his experience in using AI. When he searched for several topics related to the focus of his study on radicalism in Indonesia, all the necessary information appeared in an instant. However, he was soon disappointed when looking for updated information on who the current Rector of UIN Jakarta is. “It turns out that the name that came out was not Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar,” he said in surprise. 

Not stopping there, he also compared the use of prompts using Indonesian and English. Again, he found something quite odd. “Prompts typed in English display more comprehensive information,” he said. Even so, according to the Vice Rector for Cooperation, AI is a technology that cannot be avoided. Therefore, he continued, correct literacy is needed in the use of AI. 

Expert Staff of the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi), Wijaya Kusumawardhana, agreed with the Warek, and encouraged AI governance in Indonesia. Wijaya said 79 percent of global society has used AI to facilitate work. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, he said, there are no official regulations and policies related to AI. “Even though AI brings great economic potential, so it needs to be utilized how to make policies and develop the platform,” he explained. 

Komdigi's Intermediate Expert Self-Help Activist, Hari Purwadi, added that Indonesia is determined to bridge various countries at various stages of AI development to facilitate risk mitigation efforts and ensure that the use of AI can improve people's welfare in the future. “This can be possible if policies are made taking into account the elements of security, justice, and inclusiveness,” he said.

In contrast to Hari, the Expert Staff of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), Aziz Hakim, believes that AI will actually pose quite serious challenges in the future, especially in the academic field. For Aziz, AI is only a means (wasilah) to an end (ghoyah). However, Aziz continued, often in order to achieve the goal, people resort to all means and do not care about academic ethics. “The use of AI must be based on academic morals and ethics,” he said. 

There must be a limit to academic morals and ethics, he continued, to what extent AI can be used. Aziz said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs would encourage more serious studies, research and discussions, regarding concerns about the friction between AI and academic ethics.

In contrast to Aziz, Sabrang Damar Panuluh from Kitiran Foundation and Erik Supit from Indonesia Artificial Intelligence, reinforced the opinion of Vice Chancellor Din Wahid regarding the need for literacy in utilizing AI. 

As AI practitioners, they displayed how AI works on several platforms, showing directly the prompts made in Indonesian and English. It is known that AI still has difficulty and identifying prompts that use Indonesian. “Indonesian is still limited. The AI brain is designed in English. That means to get maximum results, a prompt written in English is needed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Information Center, Khodijah Hulliyah, M.Si, Ph, D., as well as the moderator said that this institution was created to respond to the rapid development of AI which has not been regulated properly, especially on campus. She hopes to draft a policy that can handle the clash of AI use with academic ethics. “So that we can use it wisely ethically,” he concluded. 

Event Documentation:

(Aji Pangestu/Fauziah M./Dzihan Aufa Kilmi Firdausi/Foto: Muhammad Fahri Afrizal, Hermanudin)