Indonesia sets out four principles for human-centred AI adoption at work

Indonesia’s Manpower Minister Yassierli has called for human-centred AI in the workplace to boost national workforce productivity, saying the biggest gains come when organisations redesign how work is done.

He said sectors with high AI use have recorded faster productivity growth than those with lower uptake. “However, the use of AI tools does not necessarily mean a drastic reduction in the workforce,” he added.

According to Yassierli, technology can create new business opportunities and increase demand for certain skills. Employees will therefore need both expertise in their own fields and the ability to apply AI in their day-to-day roles.

“AI adoption is not limited to hiring experts or turning AI into merely a digital assistant,” he said.

The size of the payoff, he explained, depends heavily on changes to work processes. Employed only as an operational assistant, AI raises productivity by around 5% on average. Where workflows and standard operating procedures are redesigned and employees are then upskilled, the increase could reach 30-40%.

Yassierli also pointed to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study of 1,250 organisations, which found that 60% of AI pioneer organisations have yet to see significant business benefits, in part because of flawed implementation strategies.

“Therefore, technological transformation needs to be positioned as part of a strategy to strengthen competitiveness while also supporting sustainable employment decisions,” he said.

To guide adoption, the Manpower Minister is promoting four principles. “First, AI is used to strengthen human capabilities, not merely replace employees. Second, its implementation is carried out with the involvement of employees and labour unions,” Yassierli said.

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The third principle holds that AI-driven decisions affecting employees’ rights, safety and job opportunities must remain under human oversight. The fourth requires that implementation leaves no employee behind, including senior employees.

The ministry is also taking practical steps. “To support responsible AI implementation, the Manpower Ministry is running an AI-based productivity pilot project, developing an official guide for AI implementation in the workplace, and preparing a collaboration platform for organisations to exchange knowledge and share best practices,” he said, reported Antara.

How organisations bring AI into the workplace without leaving their people behind is among the questions facing HR leaders across the country. Those looking to explore it further can join their peers at CHRO Indonesia 2026, which runs from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at the Park Hyatt Jakarta under the theme Beyond Jakarta: Unlocking the Workforce Engine of an Archipelagic Economy. Register here.