AI in Indonesian Education: Introduction
It was a typical evening at home when my mother, a dedicated high school teacher for around three decades, called me into her study. “Teteh,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration, “can you help me with this PowerPoint presentation? The school wants us to create video lessons now.” As I sat down to help her, I couldn’t help but reflect on the stark contrast between the cutting-edge AI technologies I work with daily and the basic tech struggles many educators face in Indonesia.
This moment encapsulates the complex reality of education and technology (edtech) in our country. On one hand, we have a burgeoning edtech industry with success stories like Ruangguru, Zenius, and GovTech Edu. On the other, we have teachers like my mother, struggling to adapt to even basic technological changes.
I might have promised my readers a series of posts about my attempts at answering some philosophical questions in the world of AI.
While those philosophical questions remain on my mind (and on my Medium drafts), I find myself increasingly drawn to a more immediate concern: the state of education in Indonesia. As I helped my mother navigate the world of PowerPoint presentations, a realization dawned on me. The challenges educators face in our country extend far beyond basic technology. The rapid push for digitalization in schools, while exciting, overlooks the stark realities of limited resources, a struggling teacher workload, and a widening digital divide.
Having worked in the edtech industry for the past 12 months, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI technologies in the education domain. This is where my expertise in AI intersects with my personal connection to the education system. Perhaps, I thought, AI could be part of the solution.
Perhaps.
This series of posts will build upon some of the ideas I and my friend Karina developed in our paper, “Revolutionizing Educational Inclusivity in Indonesia with Conversational AI,” presented at one of PPI UK’s events in 2023.
Stay tuned for more insights into how AI can transform education in our country!
Note: “Teteh” is a nickname for daughters/sisters in Sundanese language and culture.