Will artificial intelligence (AI) bring about major changes to our lives in the future? According to a survey by Google and Ipsos, one of the areas where Asians believe AI will have a major positive impact is education and training.
This potential is already being proven: the revolutionary capabilities of Generative AI (GenAI) are enabling new ways to democratize access to quality education and the jobs of the future at the scale Indonesia needs.
This trend is reflected in our data: GenAI course enrollment in Indonesia has grown 1,158% year-over-year, and globally has grown 1,060% year-over-year. Indonesia now ranks third in Southeast Asia by enrollment after Singapore and Vietnam.
Here are four areas where AI can advance learning equity and help shape an inclusive future.
The first is access to opportunities to learn with the world.
Advances in machine learning (ML) have drastically reduced the cost and time required to translate course materials: what used to take thousands of dollars and months to translate a course can now be completed in a few days for less than $30 using ML.
Historically, language barriers have hindered learners wanting to gain new skills and enter new fields. With AI-translated content, students and workers who are not fluent in English can easily gain the skills they need for digital jobs online. Learners in Asia Pacific are already using this to their advantage.
This leap comes at an opportune time, as internet penetration is growing rapidly in Indonesia: More than 77 percent of Indonesia’s population uses the internet, making the country now the fourth largest in the world in terms of internet users after China, India and the United States.
As the digital divide narrows, AI can foster new opportunities to expand high-quality, relevant learning to all Indonesians.
The second is the next frontier of personalized, interactive learning.
Until now, private tutoring has been a privilege available only to a select few. But in the near future, every student in Indonesia will be able to have a GenAI personal coach. Just like a real tutor, the AI coach can provide customized study tips, explain concepts the night before an exam, and even teach modules in the student’s native language.
GenAI makes personalized coaching accessible and economical at scale, without time or location constraints. This individualized learning can help improve learning outcomes for learners in a variety of contexts, from helping students who are falling behind academically to supporting learners in underserved regions. Students are already seeing the benefits of personalized learning with GenAI.
Tirt and Jakpat’s research found that 86% of students surveyed aged 15-21 use AI assistance to complete tasks at least once a month.
GenAI’s conversational capabilities can be put to a variety of uses, such as as a debate opponent generating counterarguments while students fine-tune their own perspectives. According to UNESCO, GenAI can also be beneficially used to facilitate inquiry-based or project-based learning, acting as a sort of research advisor guiding students.
The third is teaching support: how AI can enhance teaching.
“Now, more than ever, we need to move towards learning societies. People around the world need quality skills, knowledge and education. Above all, they need the best teachers possible,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
UNESCO estimates that approximately 69 million teachers will be needed by 2030 to achieve universal basic education, but current trends mean this shortage will grow. AI can support teachers, especially those in need, reducing their burden and saving them time while driving effective student outcomes.
GenAI can be used to scale practice assessments to meet each learner’s needs and generate multiple question paper variations for robust testing that discourages cheating. AI-assisted grading streamlines grading by suggesting scores and feedback while leaving the final decision to the teacher.
GenAI allows faculty to auto-generate an entire course, from course structure to assignments, in just a few hours. Instructors can easily create privately crafted courses that combine high-quality content from external experts with their own internal content. For multilingual classes, GenAI can create personalized step-by-step instructions for each student, a feature that helps overcome language barriers.
Fourth, a future-ready workforce.
In Indonesia, GenAI course enrollment has surged, reflecting strong interest in AI skills. With enrollment growing 1150% year over year, the growing demand for AI expertise has led to a significant increase in courses such as Vanderbilt University’s Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT, Google AI Essentials, and DeepLearning.AI’s Generative AI for Everyone.
A survey by Microsoft and LinkedIn found that 76% of Indonesian leaders are willing to hire less experienced candidates if they have AI skills.
GenAI won’t take over jobs, but non-AI workers may be replaced by AI-using workers.
GenAI’s high enrollment rate among Indonesia’s corporate learners indicates that even employed students are upskilling to stay relevant in the workplace and across the market. Every student graduating needs to know how to use GenAI as a thought partner and enhance their work in order to be employable and productive in their first job.
Online learning can be a powerful tool to promote equitable access to in-demand AI skills, with public and private institutions playing a key role in facilitating large-scale AI skilling and reskilling programs.
Democratizing access to AI skills is in line with the government’s plans to expand digital inclusion and the use of AI in all sectors, including education. The AI revolution can bring equal opportunities to all Indonesians. Harnessing its potential in education, especially narrowing the opportunity gap, will ensure equitable outcomes in an AI world.
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The author is Managing Director of Asia Pacific at Coursera.
