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JAKARTA - Indonesia has called for child protection to be one of the core principles in shaping global artificial intelligence (AI) governance, proposing an international coalition to place the best interests of children at the centre of AI development and use.
Indonesian Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Indonesia also proposed the harmonisation of cross-border regulations and the development of international standards to protect children from algorithmic exploitation without hindering innovation and digital transformation.
She presented the proposals at the inaugural United Nations (UN) Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva on Tuesday, which brought together representatives from 108 member states, including heads of government, ministers and leaders of international organisations.
"This dialogue is an important opportunity to build global AI governance that is inclusive, human-centred, development-oriented, and strengthened through international cooperation,” she said in Geneva, according to her ministry’s statement on Wednesday.
During her address, Meutya also highlighted Indonesia's experience through PP TUNAS, a regulation on child protection in electronic systems which restricts access to high-risk digital platforms for users under the age of 16.
According to the minister, the accounts of around five million children have been protected in the first five months of its implementation, demonstrating that national regulation can go hand in hand with technological innovation without hindering digital transformation.
She said global AI governance should be built on the principle of interoperability rather than regulatory uniformity, recognising that countries have different levels of readiness and development needs.
Meutya said Indonesia also urged stronger international cooperation through capacity building, technology partnerships, access to cloud computing, the development of AI models based on local languages, and financing mechanisms to ensure the benefits of AI are shared more equitably among all countries. - BERNAMA