Indonesia Must Narrow AI Gap with China, Says Airlangga
Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto believes Indonesia can catch up with China's AI progress after visiting WAIC 2026.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto says Indonesia can bridge its gap with China in artificial intelligence development. He made the assertion following a firsthand look at the scale of Beijing’s technological advancements.
Airlangga shared his perspective with the Indonesian news agency ANTARA in Shanghai on Saturday, July 18, 2026, during his visit to the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026. The event is hosted at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center from July 17 to July 20, 2026.
Witnessing China's Technological Leap
During his tour of the exhibition, Airlangga observed how AI and robotics have become deeply integrated into various sectors in China. While he noted that China is significantly ahead, he remains optimistic that Indonesia is capable of catching up.
The WAIC is a global summit for artificial intelligence, smart computing, and embodied intelligence—a field focused on machines that interact physically with their environment, such as humanoid robots. The conference has been held since 2018.
This year’s event is massive. Spanning three locations across Shanghai, WAIC 2026 features 1,400 speakers, including nine Nobel and Turing Award laureates, industry leaders, and policymakers. On the exhibition floor, approximately 1,100 companies are showcasing 3,000 distinct products and technologies.
The Road Ahead for Jakarta
Airlangga’s remarks signal that Jakarta is treating AI as a serious economic policy agenda. His call to “catch up” implies a strategy of learning from China’s successful deployment of AI and robotics, potentially allowing Indonesia to accelerate its progress without needing to reinvent the wheel.
Closing this gap requires significant investments in talent, research ecosystems, and infrastructure. Observing the displays in Shanghai provided a clear benchmark for the distance Indonesia needs to cover and identified specific areas where the nation might leapfrog certain stages of development.
The WAIC 2026 exhibition continues until Monday, July 20, 2026. Reflecting on the scale of the innovation he witnessed, Airlangga emphasized the urgency for Jakarta.
China is already extraordinary in its application of AI and robotics, so yes, Indonesia must catch up to what they are doing.