Indonesia Prepares Groundbreaking AI Copyright Overhaul
Indonesia is gearing up for sweeping changes to its copyright framework that could fundamentally reshape the digital landscape. A newly drafted copyright bill—currently under review by the government—proposes granting explicit copyright privileges to creators who use artificial intelligence tools. If passed, Indonesia would become the very first country in Southeast Asia to formally incorporate AI into its national copyright laws.
This legislative move sets the stage for a massive showdown between the Indonesian government and major tech platforms as nations globally grapple with how to regulate the rapid advancement of generative AI.
Protecting Human Creators and the "Distinctive Style"
Hermansyah Siregar, an Indonesian law ministry official overseeing intellectual property, confirmed that the draft bill represents the country's first explicit recognition of AI in copyright law.
"The development of generative AI has disrupted the copyright framework," Siregar explained. "If unregulated, it could kill human creation."
To protect local creators, the bill introduces several crucial AI-specific clauses:
The "Distinctive Style" Ban: The law strictly prohibits the use of AI to imitate a human creator's unique and distinctive style.
Mandatory Disclosure: Creators must clearly disclose whenever AI is used in the generation of their content.
The Human Involvement Test: AI-assisted works will only qualify for copyright protection if they meet specific "human involvement" criteria. Fully autonomous, AI-generated works with minimal human input are entirely excluded from protection.
Tech Platforms Face New Compensation Rules
Beyond creator protections, the bill targets the core business models of Big Tech. The proposed law requires technology platforms to pay direct compensation for aggregating, republishing, or link-previewing news content. Furthermore, tech giants must pay to use this copyrighted work for AI model training.
These compensation funds would be routed to state-supervised collective management organizations, which would then distribute the money to news publishers. The draft also specifies that using copyrighted works to train AI models is subject to strict fair-use provisions or formal licensing agreements.
A Showdown with Big Tech
Unsurprisingly, this aggressive regulatory push is already facing pushback. Tech giants like Google could face severe sanctions—including the revocation of their local business permits—if they fail to comply with the bill's provisions.
Google has already heavily criticized the copyright overhaul. In a public statement, the company warned, "Rigid, overbroad mandates, however, would harm local creators, slow innovation, and leave Indonesia as an international outlier, ultimately discouraging the investment needed to drive its digital future."
Meta and TikTok, whose platforms are massively popular in Indonesia, have not yet commented on the proposals.
The Global Push for AI Governance
Indonesia's proposals mirror a growing global trend toward AI transparency and regulation. For example, the European Union's AI Act requires companies to clearly label deepfakes, while the U.S. and Singapore have firmly stated that copyright protection strictly requires human contribution. Meanwhile, China has recently outlined a vision for a new global AI order emphasizing human oversight and open-source technology sharing.
As the Indonesian government seeks further input on this draft, the entire tech industry is watching closely. How Indonesia balances the protection of human creators with the need for digital innovation will likely set a powerful precedent for the rest of Southeast Asia.