Artificial Intelligence in Indonesian Healthcare

By Sumona Bose

February 14, 2024

AI’s Rising Influence in Global Healthcare

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making waves in the healthcare industry worldwide. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an AI language model, astounded the medical community by acing the United States Medical Licensing Exam without specialised training. Google’s Med-PaLM 2 mirrored this success, demonstrating AI’s potential to absorb and apply vast medical knowledge. AI’s  power also extends to research, with McMaster University and MIT using it to discover new antibacterial molecules, marking a significant step in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. The East Asian and Pacific region has also seen greater increase in AI employability in healthcare market.

Asia Pacific Healthcare AI Market Growth Outlook 2021-2027
Figure 1: Asia Pacific’s AI Market Report.

AI and Healthcare in Indonesia: Opportunities and Challenges

Indonesia, with its low physician-to-population ratio, stands to benefit immensely from AI’s potential. AI-powered chatbots, integrated with data from various sources, could enhance healthcare accessibility across the archipelago. The integration of AI with digital health platforms like Halodoc could potentially improve the quality of healthcare services in Indonesia. However, the journey towards AI integration is not without challenges. Bias in AI models, primarily trained on medical literature from high-income countries, is a significant concern. Indonesia must consider this bias when integrating AI with existing digital healthcare services. The use of local data, such as from Halodoc, is crucial for effective AI deployment in Indonesian healthcare.

Addressing Privacy Concerns and the Need for Regulation

Data acquisition for AI model training also raises serious privacy concerns. Despite the enactment of the Personal Data Protection Law in 2022, public unease over sensitive data leaks remains high in Indonesia. The country can learn from South Korea’s model of a centralised, secure, and ethical data-sharing system to build its national AI-based healthcare data ecosystem. The future of AI-enhanced healthcare necessitates a reimagining of healthcare education. Future professionals must be prepared to synergise with AI, requiring the development of AI-focused modules in medical and health curricula. By promoting stringent regulations, prioritising data privacy, and reimagining healthcare education, Indonesia can pave the way for a future where AI and human expertise harmoniously work together.

In conclusion, the integration of AI in healthcare presents a promising future for Indonesia. With careful consideration of potential challenges and the implementation of robust regulations, the country can leverage AI’s potential to improve healthcare accessibility and quality across the archipelago.

Reference url

Recent Posts

Evolving Burden of Obesity in the US: Key Insights on Obesity Prevention Strategies

By HEOR Staff Writer

October 10, 2025

What are the most effective obesity prevention strategies for reducing long-term healthcare and societal costs in the United States? Recent advanced population models reveal that focusing on early, targeted obesity prevention strategies offers far greater value to health systems and society than ...
Simponi Pediatric Approval: FDA Grants First Pediatric Indication for Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

By HEOR Staff Writer

October 9, 2025

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Simponi pediatric approval for Johnson & Johnson's Simponi (golimumab), which is intended for children with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who weigh at least 15 kg. This historic approval is backed by data from the PURSUIT pr...
Paving the Way for Digital Health Technologies: NICE’s Bold New Strategy for the NHS
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is expanding its technology appraisals programme, and starting April 2026, this will include digital health technologies that are placed on an equal legal footing with medicines in the NHS. This initiative forms part of the NHS 10-year ...