Heaptalk, Jakarta — Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) and PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk announced the strategic affiliation of the early-phase development of Sahabat-AI, an open-source large language model (LLM) ecosystem designed explicitly for Bahasa Indonesia and Indonesia’s diverse local languages.
This project aims to fortify Indonesia’s digital sovereignty, preserve linguistic heritage, and accelerate socio-economic growth through state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology. The Sahabat-AI will launch with about 8 – 9 billion parameter LLMs in its first phase.
“This model embodies Indonesia’s vision for a future of digital sovereignty and inclusivity, empowering all Indonesians to benefit from advanced technology.” CEO of Indosat, Vikram Sinha, affirmed.
Sahabat-AI is a language model created by Indonesians. The technology is designed to bridge the linguistic and cultural gaps left by global AI models. Indonesia’s unique language and cultural diversity serve as the model’s core, allowing for the development of AI-powered applications and services in Bahasa Indonesia and numerous local dialects, making technology more relevant and accessible to all Indonesians.
This project involved several parties, such as research institutions, universities, and media organizations, in a collaborative effort to build an AI ecosystem rooted in Indonesia’s rich cultural context. In more detail, Indonesia’s leading universities (University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, Bandung Institute of Technology, and Bogor Institute of Agriculture) and media groups such as Republika and Kompas Group will also contribute to ensuring Sahabat-AI is optimized for the local context and cultural relevance.
“The era of technological disruption requires skilled human resources to innovate and advance technologies, including AI, across economic, social, and linguistic areas,” Indonesia’s Vice President of Indonesia, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, said.
Promoting cultural understanding and innovation through AI
By operating in Bahasa Indonesia and incorporating Indonesia’s cultural context, Sahabat-AI addresses gaps left by global AI models. This technology will be further developed using Indosat Group’s GPU Merdeka AI cloud services with NVIDIA’s computing capabilities.
This infrastructure will enable sustained growth and functionality of the AI models, contributing to driving the socio-economic transformation of Indonesia in alignment with the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.
“Our vision for Sahabat-AI is to democratize AI for all Indonesians. Through this initiative, we aim to deepen citizen engagement and bring about meaningful transformation for millions nationwide,” GoTo’s CEO, Patrick Walujo, said.
As information, The official launch of Sahabat-AI took place at Indonesia AI Day, featuring notable figures such as Indonesia’s Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison CEO Vikram Sinha, and GoTo CEO Patrick Walujo. This inaugural phase of Sahabat-AI embodies a solid commitment to the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, a national agenda driving progress through advanced technology.
