Jakarta became the center of international academic attention through the hosting of The Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS) 2026 on Monday (July 6, 2026). This event symbolizes Indonesia's strategic position in facilitating cross-border dialogue regarding the future of artificial intelligence (AI), which is now entering various aspects of life.
Prof. Putu Wuri Handayani from Universitas Indonesia emphasized that the essence of this conference goes beyond mere research presentations. The presence of 470 in-person participants from 29 countries is expected to spawn concrete collaborations, ranging from collaborative research to sustainable mentorship of international students post-event.
From a technological development perspective, Prof. Juliana Sutanto from Monash University highlighted the importance of a sociotechnical approach. According to her, AI innovation cannot be separated from its impact on society. Regarding education, she encouraged higher education institutions to revamp evaluation systems, placing greater emphasis on assessing students' critical thinking processes rather than final outcomes, which are vulnerable to over-reliance on AI tools.
Responding to labor market transformations, the Director General of Research and Development at Kemendiktisaintek, Fauzan Adziman, emphasized that the government is committed to facilitating this transition. Although automation has the potential to displace human roles, AI is also believed to create new professional landscapes requiring specific competencies through adaptive learning schemes such as microcredentials.
The Indonesian government itself has prepared a national roadmap to integrate AI technology into key sectors, such as healthcare, autonomous transportation, agriculture, and energy. Through the PACIS 2026 forum, Indonesia reinforces its readiness to become a key player in a dynamic and innovative global research ecosystem.
