Facing AI, Deputy Minister Stella Urges Youth to Master Critical Thinking 

Jakarta: Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie urged the youth to master critical thinking as a key to navigating the disruption of artificial intelligence (AI) and global competition.

She noted that, amid current technological advancements, the capacity to evaluate, critique, and make decisions remains a uniquely human skill that machines cannot replicate.

"What makes humans irreplaceable is not just the ability to use AI, but the ability to evaluate whether its output is accurate, relevant, and used responsibly. Thus, humans will never be replaced by AI," she asserted in a statement in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted from Antara, Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

Christie highlighted that, with 210 million internet users and an 83 percent penetration rate, Indonesia can help shape the global direction of AI development through a "human-in-the-loop" approach.

In this regard, digital talent development in the country should no longer focus only on technical skills. Still, it must also be accompanied by profound analytical skills, shaped by disciplines such as philosophy and the social sciences.

This, according to her, is key not only for students to respond to technological advancements but also to win global competition in the academic field.

As part of the initiative to bolster education capacity and competitiveness, the Indonesian government has initiated various programs, including the Garuda Top High School, which focuses on school transformation.

In line with the program's implementation, the number of Letters of Acceptance (LoA) secured by Indonesian students at prestigious overseas universities has also surged 167 percent, rising from 587 in 2025 to 1,567 this year.

Recognizing this immense potential, the deputy minister encouraged young talents to continue competing fairly to support the nation's development goals.
"Our nation can only progress if we are all willing to compete and strive to maximize our own potential," she stressed.