Jakarta. An analyst recently suggested that Indonesia and South Korea should focus on making sure their agreements deliver concrete results amid the major power rivalry in artificial intelligence (AI).

The US and China are in a tight race to dominate the global AI scene, with each country even forming its own alliance. In late 2025, Washington launched Pax Silica, which zeroes in on securing the supply chains of minerals that underpin AI. The club includes the chip-making South Korea. Beijing recently introduced the WAICO alliance — of which Indonesia is a founding member — to promote AI governance.

Gadjah Mada University international relations lecturer Dedy Permadi recently shared his thoughts on how middle-powers-cum-partners Jakarta and Seoul should respond to the simmering AI rivalry. Dedy said that it would be best for both economies to concentrate on existing bilateral cooperation. 

Earlier this year, the governments inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on AI-driven primary care and human capital development. Its scope includes AI-backed primary care, digital wellness, as well as maternal and child health. Dedy suggested that South Korea could consider developing the “highly needed” AI prototypes in Indonesia’s remote community health centers or puskesmas as a “mutually beneficial” follow-up to the MoU.

“South Korea is already trying to expand AI use for medical services in its rural regions, something that our country also needs. … South Korea can try testing their models in our islands,” Dedy told reporters in a recent workshop.

“Regardless of the global competition that is taking place, cooperation should benefit both sides. … We can stay focused on developing problem-solving AI tools for problems faced by our societies.” 

Kim Chanwoo, the minister counsellor for the economic section at the South Korean Embassy in Indonesia, pitched cooperation on addressing the AI-driven energy demand. The diplomat pointed to the clean energy MoU that President Prabowo Subianto brought home from his South Korean visit in April. The MoU covers nuclear power, clean hydrogen, and renewables.

 “The increased electricity demand from data centers will necessitate renewable sources of energy, including nuclear. We have the experience, technology, and [history of] overseas nuclear plants. … We have the potential,” Kim Chanwoo said.

At the recent G20 Atlanta talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was a “universal acknowledgement” among the members over the importance of critical minerals and supply chains. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Indonesian counterpart Arrmanatha Nasir were in this two-day meeting.

Despite Indonesia backing the WAICO, senior economic minister Airlangga Hartarto not long ago revealed that Indonesia was also engaging with Pax Silica at the same time, saying that the two groups deal with “different priorities and shouldn’t be pitted against each other”.

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The workshop was part of the Indonesian Next Generation Journalist Network on Korea program, a capacity-building initiative jointly organized by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) and the Korea Foundation.

Read More: China’s WAICO or US-Led Pax Silica? Indonesia Stays Neutral

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