Staring at a smartphone screen today feels very different than it did a few years ago. Without realizing it, we've entered an era where artificial intelligence ( AI) is no longer just a feature of science fiction films.
From social media algorithms that guess what we're thinking, to virtual assistants that help with our routines, to automatic text and image generators, AI has slowly infiltrated and touched almost every aspect of our modern lives.
High optimism in the digital realm
How do Indonesian people view this phenomenon?
Rather than fearing being replaced by robots, the majority of Indonesians have demonstrated a very open and adaptive level of acceptance of AI. This optimism is undoubtedly supported by Indonesia's increasingly solid digital foundation over the years.
According to the latest report from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), the internet penetration rate in Indonesia has now reached 81.72 percent. This means that approximately 235 million Indonesians are now actively surfing the internet.
This ease of internet access is directly proportional to people's penchant for digital socializing. We Are Social's annual report revealed that the number of active social media users in Indonesia has reached 180 million, or 62.9 percent of the total population.
With such a massive digital ecosystem, it's no surprise that the adoption of new technologies like AI is soaring unhindered. In fact, the same report states that more than a third of Indonesian netizens regularly use AI platforms like DeepSeek, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT every month for various needs.
The use of AI is no longer limited to the computer labs of giant companies, but has become widespread in the hands of ordinary people from various age groups and professions.
The story of those who "befriended" AI
To get a closer look at how this technology works in the real world, let's hear firsthand accounts from three different generations who have successfully "tamed" AI to make their lives easier.
At nearly fifty, Arief (47) proves that age is no barrier to technological literacy. As a private employee active on social media, he once struggled to put words together or find interesting content ideas.
"At first, I felt a little intimidated by the posts by these creative young people. But since I learned about AI-powered text-creating apps, I just type in the points I want, and voila! A neat caption draft comes out , complete with hashtags," Arief told Xinhua at a coffee shop in Bogor, West Java Province, on Sunday (May 17).
For Arief, AI has reduced his thinking time and enabled him to create engaging content. The benefits he's experienced are tangible. He can confidently maintain social interactions online without worrying about awkward grammar.
Moving south to Jakarta, Laela (45), an administrative staff member at a renowned private university, has found her workload significantly lighter thanks to AI. Every day, her desk is bombarded with hundreds of emails and office documents demanding a quick response.
Laela (45), an administrative employee at a private university in Jakarta, works on her laptop and finds AI very helpful. (Xinhua)
"Previously, responding to official emails from superiors, lecturers, or external parties could take all day because I had to formulate the correct formal sentences. Now, I use AI to draft replies or compile monthly reports. Administrative tasks that used to pile up for hours are now completed in a matter of minutes," Laela said at her office on Monday (May 18).
For Laela, AI is a free personal assistant that allows her to focus more on other strategic tasks that require human decisions.
Meanwhile, for Generation Z students like Alka (21), AI has become a daily necessity. This geology student often uses AI to help her complete her piling-up of assignments. However, Alka insists she doesn't use AI to cheat.
"I don't ask AI to create a finished assignment straight away, though. That's cheating. I use it as a discussion partner or brainstorming partner. If I'm stuck for ideas or confused about summarizing complicated foreign language material, I ask AI to help me analyze the key points," Alka explained at her home in Bogor, West Java Province.
According to him, AI really helps speed up his learning process, especially when the campus library is closed and lecturers are difficult to contact.
Negative impacts and future challenges
