In Indonesia, a profound digital transformation is underway, fuelled not merely by the introduction of sophisticated tools, but by a groundswell of passion, purpose, and relentless self-development among its emerging changemakers. In classrooms and communities across the archipelago, individuals are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to not only harness economic growth but to redefine the prerequisites of empowerment and opportunity. This is the story of Indonesia’s AI revolution: how a country of over 270 million people is preparing to seize a projected US$360 billion digital economy by 2030, and what it means for students, professionals, and communities eager to propel themselves—and the nation—into the future.
Indonesia stands on the precipice of an economic transformation. According to government and industry research, the nation’s digital economy is among the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, with expectations to reach the US$360 billion mark by 2030. However, this growth brings a pronounced demand for digital talent and AI-literate workers. A Microsoft 2025 Work Trend Index report highlighted that 78% of global business leaders are actively seeking professionals with AI expertise, and that AI literacy is now the most prized competency in the workforce.
But digital transformation, experts stress, is not just about tools and infrastructure—it is a matter of mindset. Indonesia’s new wave of AI changemakers are not just building technical skills; they are shaping entire new narratives around learning, creativity, and community impact.
Arief Suseno, Microsoft Indonesia’s AI National Skills Director, succinctly captured the ethos of this movement: “We’re not just building skills—we’re unlocking potential. When people gain confidence in using AI, they start to imagine new futures—not just for themselves, but for their communities, and their country.”
This shift is visible in hundreds of thousands of learners nationwide, and nowhere is it more vividly illustrated than in the stories of Ahmad Zikrillah, Dede Ulfah, and Izza Auliyai Rabby—three changemakers from divergent backgrounds whose journeys converge around the principles of passion, curiosity, and purpose-driven innovation.
Entirely self-taught, Ahmad’s first forays into technology were out of necessity. In high school, repairing electronics provided both a valuable learning experience and a source of additional income. A decade later, his blog on electronics—started in 2008—had amassed over 1,000 followers, funding his home and nurturing his enduring love of tinkering and teaching.
However, it was his enrollment in elevAIte Indonesia, via Dicoding, that provided the greatest inflection point. Here, he gained certifications in areas like machine learning and learned to wield tools such as Microsoft Copilot—a generative AI assistant embedded across Microsoft 365, Azure, and other platforms. Unlike earlier experiences with software that merely automated rote tasks, Copilot offered intelligent suggestions, sparking Ahmad’s imagination for how AI might truly augment education.
He began to experiment, using Copilot for tasks ranging from rapid HTML prototyping to designing branching lesson flows. The greatest leap emerged in the form of “Kertas Digital”—a lightweight, offline-accessible digital handout that weaves together text, images, and videos, and puts interactive, engaging learning directly on students’ mobile phones. The tool’s true power, Ahmad notes, lies not only in convenience but in engagement; young learners interact with content on their terms, in environments they are comfortable with, bridging gaps in understanding that static textbooks could not.
“Back then, it took me a month to create a single-page website. Now, with the help of Copilot, all I need to do is input a prompt. I am still learning to improve my prompting to get better results. In a way, both AI and I are learning together,” Ahmad shared.
His trajectory is emblematic of the self-reinforcing potential of AI literacy: the more Ahmad learns and experiments, the more inspired his students become. As they interact with Kertas Digital, even beyond school hours, curiosity flourishes, intimidation recedes, and the cycle of exploration perpetuates itself—a far cry from rote memorization, and a leap toward true, contextual comprehension.
Beyond his own classrooms, Ahmad continues to mentor younger educators, sharing techniques in code and digital tool application, with a belief that AI’s greatest promise lies in sparking creativity—not replacing it.
The daughter of warteg (local food stall) owners, Dede saw early on how technology could be harnessed for daily problem-solving and business expansion, but it was her relentless curiosity that propelled her deeper. She became the only woman in her cohort to specialize in AI, embracing the responsibility as peers flocked to her for advice. Dede set out not just to learn, but to teach by example.
Her participation in elevAIte Indonesia via Dicoding opened new horizons. She explored Microsoft Azure—Microsoft’s flagship cloud platform—and Copilot, discovering firsthand the efficiencies and integrations possible when cloud, AI, and coding coalesce. “After learning about Microsoft Azure, I realized coding and deployment could be much more efficient and integrated. There are so many opportunities to build solutions using it,” she explained.
For her final-year thesis, Dede built an AI-powered application that classifies Indonesian dishes by image, revealing their nutritional content. This ambitious project saw Dede independently sourcing training data and refining multiple learning models—a testament to how grassroots AI education can lead directly to practical, impactful innovations tailored to local needs.
Inspired further by elevAIte's hands-on modules, she next began prototyping a document assistant designed to auto-generate structured letters or official requests—a tool with major potential for small businesses and public sector admin alike.
Dede’s ongoing search for her first full-time technology role is underpinned by new confidence and clarity of purpose, made tangible by the skills, mentorship, and real-world exposure provided by elevAIte. Her example is particularly significant within Indonesia’s context: while STEM fields remain male-dominated, women like Dede are breaking barriers and setting precedent for inclusive, equitable participation in the AI economy.
This experience motivated him to pursue a second degree in IT, participating first in hackathons and, later, in both Microsoft’s Talenta AI and elevAIte Indonesia programs. After achieving his AI-900 (Microsoft’s foundational AI certification) and further technical credentials, Rabby set his sights on community impact.
Returning home to his father’s pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Kuningan, West Java, Rabby launched what he calls a Pesantren Teknologi—a hub where more than 70 students engage in hands-on code experiments, AI fundamentals, and cloud workshops. For most, it is their first exposure to digital tools beyond theory.
Rabby created a support ecosystem: students access hardware, software, and mentorship, participate in hackathons (with several trophies to show), and build portfolios tackling real-world challenges. “There are plenty of digital talents in Indonesia; they only need to be supported and facilitated with hardware and certifications to become more competitive,” Rabby affirmed.
By bridging rural gaps in hardware access, digital skills, and credentialing, initiatives like Rabby’s are crucial in erasing the urban-rural divide in tech education. His story highlights a critical truth: innovation can take root in any environment, given opportunities and encouragement.
Through elevAIte Indonesia, Microsoft and its partners have shown the power of collaborative, scalable skilling initiatives that reach deep into society—touching educators eager to reimagine the learning process, young professionals carving pathways into emerging tech sectors, and grassroots leaders weaving digital literacy into the fabric of rural communities.
The stories of Ahmad, Dede, and Rabby underscore an essential insight for policymakers, technology developers, and educators worldwide: sustainable digital transformation is anchored as much in human potential as in technical advancement. Passion, persistence, and purpose remain the beating heart of innovation, even in the age of AI.
For Indonesia’s future to be inclusive and innovative, the work must continue—expanding infrastructure, fostering broad-based mentorship, championing diverse role models, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital surge. If current trends and the fervor of its changemakers are any indication, Indonesia is on course not just to reap the benefits of its digital boom, but to lead by example in the global journey toward an AI-empowered society.
Source: Microsoft The Next Wave of AI Changemakers: How Passion, Purpose, and Skilling Are Shaping Indonesia’s Future - Source Asia
Indonesia’s Digital Acceleration: A Fertile Landscape for AI Changemakers
Indonesia stands on the precipice of an economic transformation. According to government and industry research, the nation’s digital economy is among the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, with expectations to reach the US$360 billion mark by 2030. However, this growth brings a pronounced demand for digital talent and AI-literate workers. A Microsoft 2025 Work Trend Index report highlighted that 78% of global business leaders are actively seeking professionals with AI expertise, and that AI literacy is now the most prized competency in the workforce.But digital transformation, experts stress, is not just about tools and infrastructure—it is a matter of mindset. Indonesia’s new wave of AI changemakers are not just building technical skills; they are shaping entire new narratives around learning, creativity, and community impact.
The Role of elevAIte Indonesia: Lifting Potential, Not Just Skills
It is against this backdrop that Microsoft—collaborating closely with Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) and 22 cross-industry partners—has launched the elevAIte Indonesia program. With a mission to democratize AI education, elevAIte offers free training, workshops, certification paths, and hands-on AI projects, accessible anywhere in the country. Through partnerships with platforms like Dicoding and local institutions, learners of any age or background can enroll to gain foundational understanding in fields like machine learning, DevOps, and cloud computing with Microsoft Azure.Arief Suseno, Microsoft Indonesia’s AI National Skills Director, succinctly captured the ethos of this movement: “We’re not just building skills—we’re unlocking potential. When people gain confidence in using AI, they start to imagine new futures—not just for themselves, but for their communities, and their country.”
This shift is visible in hundreds of thousands of learners nationwide, and nowhere is it more vividly illustrated than in the stories of Ahmad Zikrillah, Dede Ulfah, and Izza Auliyai Rabby—three changemakers from divergent backgrounds whose journeys converge around the principles of passion, curiosity, and purpose-driven innovation.
Ahmad Zikrillah: Self-Taught Educator Reimagining the Future of Learning
In North Bekasi, Ahmad Zikrillah’s journey encapsulates the dynamic possibilities unlocked by continuous learning. Approaching his fifties, Ahmad has journeyed from technician to influential teacher and, now, a leading advocate for AI in education.Entirely self-taught, Ahmad’s first forays into technology were out of necessity. In high school, repairing electronics provided both a valuable learning experience and a source of additional income. A decade later, his blog on electronics—started in 2008—had amassed over 1,000 followers, funding his home and nurturing his enduring love of tinkering and teaching.
However, it was his enrollment in elevAIte Indonesia, via Dicoding, that provided the greatest inflection point. Here, he gained certifications in areas like machine learning and learned to wield tools such as Microsoft Copilot—a generative AI assistant embedded across Microsoft 365, Azure, and other platforms. Unlike earlier experiences with software that merely automated rote tasks, Copilot offered intelligent suggestions, sparking Ahmad’s imagination for how AI might truly augment education.
He began to experiment, using Copilot for tasks ranging from rapid HTML prototyping to designing branching lesson flows. The greatest leap emerged in the form of “Kertas Digital”—a lightweight, offline-accessible digital handout that weaves together text, images, and videos, and puts interactive, engaging learning directly on students’ mobile phones. The tool’s true power, Ahmad notes, lies not only in convenience but in engagement; young learners interact with content on their terms, in environments they are comfortable with, bridging gaps in understanding that static textbooks could not.
“Back then, it took me a month to create a single-page website. Now, with the help of Copilot, all I need to do is input a prompt. I am still learning to improve my prompting to get better results. In a way, both AI and I are learning together,” Ahmad shared.
His trajectory is emblematic of the self-reinforcing potential of AI literacy: the more Ahmad learns and experiments, the more inspired his students become. As they interact with Kertas Digital, even beyond school hours, curiosity flourishes, intimidation recedes, and the cycle of exploration perpetuates itself—a far cry from rote memorization, and a leap toward true, contextual comprehension.
Beyond his own classrooms, Ahmad continues to mentor younger educators, sharing techniques in code and digital tool application, with a belief that AI’s greatest promise lies in sparking creativity—not replacing it.
Dede Ulfah: Pioneering New Paths for Women in AI
In Tasikmalaya, Dede Ulfah—a recent informatics graduate and one of the few women in her university's AI program—demonstrates that AI empowerment reaches beyond traditional metropolises or privileged backgrounds.The daughter of warteg (local food stall) owners, Dede saw early on how technology could be harnessed for daily problem-solving and business expansion, but it was her relentless curiosity that propelled her deeper. She became the only woman in her cohort to specialize in AI, embracing the responsibility as peers flocked to her for advice. Dede set out not just to learn, but to teach by example.
Her participation in elevAIte Indonesia via Dicoding opened new horizons. She explored Microsoft Azure—Microsoft’s flagship cloud platform—and Copilot, discovering firsthand the efficiencies and integrations possible when cloud, AI, and coding coalesce. “After learning about Microsoft Azure, I realized coding and deployment could be much more efficient and integrated. There are so many opportunities to build solutions using it,” she explained.
For her final-year thesis, Dede built an AI-powered application that classifies Indonesian dishes by image, revealing their nutritional content. This ambitious project saw Dede independently sourcing training data and refining multiple learning models—a testament to how grassroots AI education can lead directly to practical, impactful innovations tailored to local needs.
Inspired further by elevAIte's hands-on modules, she next began prototyping a document assistant designed to auto-generate structured letters or official requests—a tool with major potential for small businesses and public sector admin alike.
Dede’s ongoing search for her first full-time technology role is underpinned by new confidence and clarity of purpose, made tangible by the skills, mentorship, and real-world exposure provided by elevAIte. Her example is particularly significant within Indonesia’s context: while STEM fields remain male-dominated, women like Dede are breaking barriers and setting precedent for inclusive, equitable participation in the AI economy.
Izza Auliyai Rabby: Building Grassroots Tech Hubs for the Next Generation
Some changemakers take the scenic route. Izza Auliyai Rabby’s academic background began not in IT, but in Communications. His path took a dramatic turn after interning at a green-tech company, where he saw how AI could monitor harvests and reduce livestock mortality, transforming livelihoods in rural settings.This experience motivated him to pursue a second degree in IT, participating first in hackathons and, later, in both Microsoft’s Talenta AI and elevAIte Indonesia programs. After achieving his AI-900 (Microsoft’s foundational AI certification) and further technical credentials, Rabby set his sights on community impact.
Returning home to his father’s pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Kuningan, West Java, Rabby launched what he calls a Pesantren Teknologi—a hub where more than 70 students engage in hands-on code experiments, AI fundamentals, and cloud workshops. For most, it is their first exposure to digital tools beyond theory.
Rabby created a support ecosystem: students access hardware, software, and mentorship, participate in hackathons (with several trophies to show), and build portfolios tackling real-world challenges. “There are plenty of digital talents in Indonesia; they only need to be supported and facilitated with hardware and certifications to become more competitive,” Rabby affirmed.
By bridging rural gaps in hardware access, digital skills, and credentialing, initiatives like Rabby’s are crucial in erasing the urban-rural divide in tech education. His story highlights a critical truth: innovation can take root in any environment, given opportunities and encouragement.
The Broader Ecosystem: Catalysts and Cautions in Indonesia's AI Journey
Indonesia’s AI skilling revolution is not unfolding in isolation. It is part of an expansive, collaborative network spanning government ministries, private sector giants like Microsoft, grassroots community groups, and international certification bodies.Notable Strengths
- Wide Reach and Accessibility: Programs like elevAIte Indonesia, in partnership with platforms such as Dicoding, extend to learners regardless of socioeconomic background or geography. Free modules, virtual mentorship, and cloud-based tools have democratized access to digital skills.
- Certification and Employability: AI certifications obtained through elevAIte, such as the widely recognized Microsoft AI-900, are giving Indonesian learners globally competitive credentials. This is vital for both domestic employment and participation in international tech ecosystems.
- Inspirational Role Models: The stories of Ahmad, Dede, and Rabby offer powerful illustrations of self-driven transformation, particularly for underrepresented groups—whether by age, gender, or rural status.
- Catalyzing Community-Driven Change: The emergence of tech hubs in pesantren and rural school settings signals the start of a more inclusive generation of technologists. Local mentors like Rabby play a critical role in contextualizing learning and ensuring relevance to Indonesian challenges.
- Bridging Theory and Practice: From prototype apps classifying Indonesian cuisine to digital lesson plans fit for offline environments, Indonesia’s AI changemakers are closing gaps between academic knowledge and practical, contextualized application.
Potential Risks and Areas Needing Caution
- Digital Divide: Despite growing reach, significant disparities persist in terms of device access, internet infrastructure, and foundational education between urban and rural areas. Programs risk under-serving the most remote communities unless hardware investment and infrastructure development keep pace.
- Overreliance on Proprietary Tools: While Microsoft’s ecosystem provides cutting-edge resources like Azure and Copilot, there are concerns about vendor lock-in and future-proofing skills should broader industry standards shift toward open-source or hybrid models. Learners should be encouraged to build conceptual as well as platform-specific expertise.
- Quality and Consistency in Mentorship: As programs scale, ensuring the quality of instruction and the depth of mentorship can become challenging. Peer-driven models like those in pesantren are promising, but require ongoing oversight, resourcing, and support.
- Risk of Automation Anxiety: As AI becomes more prevalent, fears around job displacement—particularly for those in traditional or manual sectors—remain real. Initiatives must strike a careful balance, emphasizing how AI augments creativity and problem-solving rather than merely automating away livelihoods.
- Sustainability of Impact: Certification and upskilling are most meaningful when matched with actual career pathways. Continued collaboration between private sector, government, and academic institutions is essential to ensure that newfound skills translate into tangible economic inclusion and opportunity.
The Road Ahead: Shaping, Not Just Consuming, the Future
Indonesia’s AI journey is still in its early chapters, but its direction is clear: a generation of changemakers, motivated by curiosity and empowered with practical tools, is not just adapting to digital change, but actively shaping its contours.Through elevAIte Indonesia, Microsoft and its partners have shown the power of collaborative, scalable skilling initiatives that reach deep into society—touching educators eager to reimagine the learning process, young professionals carving pathways into emerging tech sectors, and grassroots leaders weaving digital literacy into the fabric of rural communities.
The stories of Ahmad, Dede, and Rabby underscore an essential insight for policymakers, technology developers, and educators worldwide: sustainable digital transformation is anchored as much in human potential as in technical advancement. Passion, persistence, and purpose remain the beating heart of innovation, even in the age of AI.
For Indonesia’s future to be inclusive and innovative, the work must continue—expanding infrastructure, fostering broad-based mentorship, championing diverse role models, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital surge. If current trends and the fervor of its changemakers are any indication, Indonesia is on course not just to reap the benefits of its digital boom, but to lead by example in the global journey toward an AI-empowered society.
Source: Microsoft The Next Wave of AI Changemakers: How Passion, Purpose, and Skilling Are Shaping Indonesia’s Future - Source Asia
