PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Acting Governor of West Java Bey Machmudin attended a National Seminar themed "Optimizing the Utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Public Works Infrastructure Development".
The seminar was held by the Ministry of Public Works (PU) in the West Hall of the Bandung Institute of Technology, Saturday (21/12/2024), attended directly by the Minister of PU Dody Hanggono.
In his remarks, Minister Dody said the seminar with the theme of AI in PU reflected a shared commitment to continue improving the quality of infrastructure development by utilizing appropriate technology, so as to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of development.
"The progress of infrastructure development technology today is extraordinary. The use of drones for mapping to AI algorithms that are able to predict damage to infrastructure such as bridge cracks shows that technology is the main key to the future of Indonesia's infrastructure development," said Dody.
Dody emphasized the important role of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, dams, and clean water treatment plants, as the foundation of modern society.
However, he said, infrastructure development in Indonesia still faces major challenges, such as limited resources, geographical conditions, and extreme weather.
"This is where AI comes in as a key changer. With AI capabilities, infrastructure design becomes more precise, condition monitoring is more continuous, and construction work can be done faster without sacrificing quality," he added.
Dody said the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an example of AI technology that has been proven to significantly reduce construction costs and time.
Despite its great potential, there are several challenges in implementing AI, such as digital infrastructure readiness, inadequate regulations, and the threat of cyber attacks. Collaboration between government, universities, and industry is key to answering these challenges.
"ITB already has an AI center that supports innovation in the field of artificial intelligence. We hope that programs such as the Master of Super Specialist Engineering (MSS) run by ITB since 2020 can continue to grow, including through artificial intelligence competitions that are connected to infrastructure development," he said.
The Ministry of Public Works also reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting ITB's initiatives. To date, 184 students have participated in the MSS program, of which 131 have graduated.
"The Ministry of Public Works will continue to support this ITB initiative to continue the collaboration that has been established since 1971 through ATPUT until the Masters Program (MSS) in Engineering which has started in 2020, until now the number of MSS students at ITB is 184, of which 131 have graduated," he said.
Dody appreciated ITB as the host of this seminar and encouraged cross-sector collaboration to utilize technology for the advancement of the nation.
"Let's use this seminar to strengthen the synergy between government, academics, industry, and society. Together, we realize better quality infrastructure development for Indonesia," he concluded.