Indonesia Launches Sovereign AI Initiative with NVIDIA and Partners

Indonesia has embarked on a significant technological venture by launching Sahabat-AI, a sovereign AI initiative, in collaboration with NVIDIA and several key partners. This ambitious project aims to cater to the nation’s 277 million Indonesian speakers, promoting digital sovereignty and inclusivity, according to NVIDIA's official blog.

Collaborative Effort Behind Sahabat-AI

The initiative is grounded in a comprehensive public-private partnership, embodying Indonesia's cultural ethos of "gotong royong," a spirit of mutual assistance and community collaboration. The launch event witnessed the presence of notable figures, including NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Indonesia's Minister for State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, and other prominent leaders in Jakarta.

Sahabat-AI comprises open-source Indonesian large language models (LLMs) developed using NVIDIA's NeMo and NIM microservices. These models are accessible to local industries, government entities, and educational institutions to foster generative AI applications tailored to local contexts and languages.

Empowering Local Industries

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), one of Indonesia's largest telecom companies, is spearheading this initiative with its GPU Merdeka cloud service, accelerated by NVIDIA. This service operates at a BDx Indonesia AI data center powered by renewable energy, enhancing sectors like energy, financial services, and healthcare.

Through the NVIDIA Cloud Partner program, IOH subsidiary Lintasarta rapidly constructed a high-performance AI cloud, which is now pivotal in driving digital transformation across various industries in Indonesia.

Industry-Specific Applications and Global Collaborations

IOH is collaborating with global companies such as Accenture and Tech Mahindra to develop industry-specific applications based on Sahabat-AI. These partnerships aim to deliver AI solutions for financial services and other sectors, ensuring sovereign data governance and operational efficiency.

Tech Mahindra is also instrumental in developing AI chatbot services in Bahasa Indonesian, enhancing citizen and resident services. The chatbot assists with various governmental procedures, reflecting the broader sovereign AI initiative's objectives.

Healthcare and On-Demand Services Enhancement

Healthcare AI company Hippocratic AI is utilizing Sahabat-AI models to create digital agents capable of humanlike interactions with patients, thereby improving healthcare accessibility and quality. Meanwhile, GoTo, a leading on-demand service provider, is integrating Sahabat-AI into its AI voice assistant, Dira, to offer more localized customer interactions.

Future Prospects and Sustainability

Looking ahead, Lintasarta plans to expand its AI infrastructure with advanced NVIDIA technologies, maintaining a commitment to sustainable and secure AI development. This initiative aligns with Indonesia's vision for a digitally empowered future, known as the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.

Beyond Indonesia, NVIDIA's technologies are supporting similar sovereign AI initiatives in countries like India, Japan, and Taiwan, highlighting the global impact of such collaborative technological advancements.