Enviro News Asia, Washington DC — Indonesia and the United States are seeking to deepen economic cooperation in digital trade and artificial intelligence (AI), with investment opportunities, legal certainty and technology innovation emerging as key priorities at a bilateral business forum held on October 13, 2026.
The US–Indonesia Digital Trade and AI Cooperation Forum, organised by the US–ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Washington, DC, brought together government officials, industry representatives and policy experts to discuss opportunities for expanding digital economic ties between the two countries.
USABC President Ambassador Brian McFeeters opened the forum by highlighting Indonesia’s substantial potential in digital trade and AI. He said the issues would feature prominently during a US industry delegation’s planned visit to Indonesia in late October, coordinated by USABC.
Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Indroyono Soesilo said digital trade and AI offered significant opportunities to strengthen the bilateral economic partnership.
Indonesia’s digital economy was estimated to have reached approximately US$99 billion in gross merchandise value in 2025, making it the largest in Southeast Asia and representing annual growth of 14 percent. The figure includes an estimated US$71 billion in electronic commerce, alongside activity in the creative economy driven by designers, musicians, filmmakers and game developers.
Indonesia’s digital economy could reach US$340 billion by 2030, while AI adoption could generate an additional US$366 billion in economic value through productivity gains and innovation, according to figures presented at the forum.
The ambassador stressed that Indonesia should aim to become more than a large digital market, positioning itself as a producer of technology and an owner of valuable intellectual property.
US technology companies are already contributing to Indonesia’s digital infrastructure. Amazon Web Services has announced plans for approximately US$5 billion in investment over 15 years, while Microsoft has committed US$1.7 billion for the 2024–2028 period and launched its Indonesia Central cloud region in 2025.
Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto has also cited NVIDIA’s reported plan to invest approximately US$4.5 billion, or around Rp80 trillion, in data centres and national computing infrastructure in the Batam special economic zone.
Despite the opportunities, forum panellists highlighted the importance of legal certainty in attracting investment and supporting innovation. Representatives from the US Departments of Commerce and State, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Google and Meta discussed the implications of Indonesia’s ongoing revision of its Copyright Law.
They called for clearer rules governing creators’ rights, AI-generated content and royalty payments to musicians, writers and journalists. Such provisions, they argued, should provide adequate protection for creative work while allowing Indonesia to keep pace with global technological developments.
Looking ahead, the forum identified the need for the Indonesian government and US industry to establish working groups to address investment barriers and strengthen links between companies, universities, research and innovation institutions, and vocational education providers.
The two sides also need to develop a trusted digital trade agenda that supports innovation and encourages investment while addressing regulatory concerns.
Progress should ultimately be measured through tangible investment, economic value creation and productive job opportunities. The forum underscored the potential for Indonesia and the United States to expand their digital partnership by combining investment, technological capabilities and stronger cooperation on the rules governing the digital economy. (*)
