The webinar titled “Strengthening the Role of Civil Servants in AI-Based Governance” was successfully held on June 24, 2025, marking the official kick-off of the GARUDA-APEKSI Program: AI Scholarships for City Government Civil Servants. The event, conducted virtually via Zoom Meeting and YouTube Live, aimed to provide foundational knowledge on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into municipal government operations. This strategic initiative represents a concrete step by APEKSI and GARUDA in preparing Civil Servants (ASN) across Indonesia to face the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation, ensuring they possess the relevant competencies to realize more efficient and innovative public services.
The enthusiasm for the program was evident from the high attendance rate. The kick-off webinar was attended directly by the Mayor of Makassar, demonstrating local leaders’ commitment to their staff’s digital capability development. A total of 535 participants from APEKSI City Government Civil Servants (ASN) attended the session, in addition to over 400 participants who had already registered directly for the GARUDA-APEKSI scholarship program. This high number of registrants and webinar attendees not only reflects the urgent need for AI literacy in the public sector but also underscores the collective determination of Indonesian cities to become smart governance entities capable of optimizing AI technology to enhance the quality of decision-making and the effectiveness of services to the community.