DIGIVESTASI - Microsoft announced an investment of $1.7 billion, or Rp27.6 trillion, over four years to build cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Indonesia. Microsoft will use this investment fund not only to build its technology infrastructure, but also to provide AI skills to 840,000 people.

The investment promise was presented to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (April 30, 2024).
Microsoft's investment is much larger than Apple, which only spent Rp 1.6 trillion to build four Apple Developer Academy educational institutions in Indonesia. Why did Microsoft choose Indonesia as a suitable country to invest in? In its official statement, Microsoft cited Carney's research which found that AI could contribute nearly $1 trillion to Southeast Asia's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. Indonesia is expected to contribute $366 billion.

That's why Microsoft wants to help Indonesia realize that potential by helping Indonesian developers grow into AI experts. More than 3.1 million developers are reportedly using Microsoft's GitHub in Indonesia. Indonesia is home to the third largest GitHub developer community in Asia Pacific after India and China. It is predicted to become one of the five largest developer communities on GitHub worldwide by 2026.

Indonesia is also one of the fastest growing groups in the region, with the number of developers on GitHub increasing by 31% by 2023. The number of publicly generated AI projects on the platform is expected to grow by 213% year-on-year by 2023. In a special interview with Kompas.com, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that the investment in Indonesia was made to ensure the company could build a world-class AI infrastructure.

By enabling organizations and businesses in Indonesia to make AI a solution to everyday problems. "AI does not only impact one aspect of the economy, but impacts the economy and society as a whole," he said on Wednesday (May 1, 2024).

For your information: Currently, many companies in Indonesia are using Microsoft AI to increase productivity and accelerate innovation. For example, PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, eFishery, PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, Open University, etc. He explained that AI implemented in eFisery, namely Azure OpenAI services, can be a solution for Indonesian fish farmers to maximize their cultivation results.

The Open University then uses Azure OpenAI to provide tutoring to 500,000 students. "These are examples of how AI can be used to have a wide impact across the country," he said.

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