Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has said the government will replace top civil service positions with artificial intelligence, instructing ministers to remove two ranks of public servants.

"I have ordered ministers to replace echelon III and IV officials with AI [because] our bureaucracy will be faster with AI, but it would depend on the omnibus law," the president said in Jakarta on Thursday, adding that doing so would cut red tape.

He referred to a planned law that would synchronize more than 70 overlapping laws and regulations.

Jokowi said the current four echelon tiers would be reduced to two by next year as AI was set to replace top civil service posts. He, however, did not elaborate on how the government would go about the plan.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the government would push for online single submission and the single map policy as part of its initiative to use AI in government-related work.

"One of the ways we would use AI would be during the registration process, for example we would simplify building permits. Licensing would be based on a risk-based approach," the minister added.

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/11/28/indonesia-to-replace-ministerial-aides-with-ai.html