Indonesia Expands AI Education with Medan Seminar and Teacher Training Program

The Medan city government’s communications department hosted an artificial intelligence (AI) literacy seminar on July 17, partnering with the Ikatan Mahasiswa Muhammadiyah. Secretary Budi Hariono highlighted the need for students to use AI wisely and warned that AI should not replace critical thinking, noting that citizens still face everyday infrastructure problems such as potholes and flooding.

In a separate initiative, teachers at Sekolah Khadijah attended a free AI training led by Malaysian expert Franklin Styne. Styne explained that 38 % of teachers’ time is spent on routine administrative tasks and demonstrated how AI tools can accelerate lesson‑plan creation and test generation. He outlined three steps—Basic, Utilize Tools, and Boost—to help educators adopt AI while assuring that the teacher’s role will not be superseded, only enhanced.

Both events underline Indonesia’s push to integrate AI into education while emphasizing that technology must complement, not replace, human effort.