Yandex Commits to Building a Digital and AI Ecosystem in Indonesia
Interview with Alexander Popovkiy, VP Strategy at Yandex Search. (Photo: Yandex Archives)
-- Yandex, an international technology company, recently registered its search engine as an Electronic System Operator (PSE) in Indonesia and held Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ethics campaigns at various universities in Indonesia. In its home country, Yandex has built an entire ecosystem of digital services and solutions powered by AI.
We met with VP Strategy Yandex Search, Alexander Popovkiy, and discussed the company's plans and initiatives in Indonesia, as well as the market conditions needed to create a local digital ecosystem.
Obtaining PSE registration is an important step. Why is it important for Yandex to take this step?
It is important to comply with local regulations in each country we serve. By registering as an Electronic Systems Operator in Indonesia, Yandex shows its wholehearted commitment to meeting local requirements. One of our goals is to create a safe technological environment wherever our products are located.
Unlawful online content is a problem across various industries, Kominfo has blocked more than 3 million unlawful online content since 2018. What do you think about this issue?
When entering new markets, our top priority is to provide optimized technology solutions focused on local user needs while complying with applicable legal frameworks.
Yandex is actively involved in combating malicious online content and fraudulent applications from third parties. We continue to optimize our search algorithms and produce initiatives focused on data protection and security.
Do you use AI technology for this purpose?
We use AI and Machine Learning (ML) to protect users from misleading content and improve their overall experience.
For example, honest reviews for places on the map such as restaurants and shops may be interspersed with fake reviews, ultimately ruining the user experience. Our ML model is trained to identify and block fake reviews left by fraudsters without impacting honest User Generated Content (UGC).
What does Yandex think about AI security issues that have become a hot topic recently?
At Yandex, we believe that building and deploying AI in a responsible way can foster trust in the technology that is shaping our future.
When talking about generative neural networks and their current developments, we cannot ignore ethical issues. When creating and training ML models, engineers rely on several principles and security being the most important.
Because even with a seemingly simple question, such as "How do I treat my flu?", these networks can provide advice that can discourage the person from going to the doctor.
So what if your flu is a symptom of something much more serious? We strive to ensure that our models, YandexGPT and YandexART, are trained to be not only helpful and effective but also safe to use.
We follow a set of ethical principles to ensure that all our work in the field of AI from research to final product, is built on a responsible and trustworthy foundation.
The added value is that Yandex is involved in establishing an AI Code of Ethics which provides recommendations for making ethical decisions when creating and using AI, as well as minimizing unethical use of AI that violates human rights and human interests.
We follow a set of ethical principles, as well as participating in establishing an AI Code of Ethics, to ensure that all our work in the field of AI from research to final products, is built on a responsible and trustworthy foundation. We discussed this topic in detail at Gadjah Mada University in a seminar as part of the AI campaign in collaboration with Kominfo.
Can you tell us more about this AI seminar campaign and other initiatives Yandex has launched or will launch in Indonesia?
Our mission is more than just business expansion, where we want to create meaningful partnerships, share expertise and experience, and provide benefits to the digital community in Indonesia as a whole. We want to be part of the community and believe that being local is more than just localizing our services. This is why we launched an AI campaign together with 5 leading universities in Indonesia and Kominfo. Starting from a series of seminars dedicated to generative AI, AI ethics and its use for data protection, as well as the overall technology landscape in Indonesia and abroad.
Since December 2023, we have presented well-known speakers such as Nezar Patria, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information; Teguh Arifiyadi, Director of Information and Communication Technology Control at the Ministry of Communication and Information; representatives from universities, the Indonesia AI Society (IAIS), and representatives of the technology industry.
Another initiative is the Yandex Cup, an international online championship for developers, where we invite IT professionals from all over Indonesia.
Another initiative worth mentioning is a service developed by Yandex capable of monitoring the movement of volcanic ash and empowering authorities and communities to respond quickly to ashfall, proactively introduce public safety measures, and protectinfrastructure.
We want to expand this project further because we believe that initiatives like this greatly benefit digital communities and improve digital literacy. Our pride is not only in creating a forum to share experiences, but also in bringing more value to the topic of AI and its role in fostering a safer technological environment.
Yandex is known for creating an entire digital ecosystem in Russia. What about digital markets in general?
We are proud to have built an ecosystem of digital services that meets a wide range of user needs and makes the lives of millions of people and businesses easier.
In addition to search, we also offer ride-hailing and delivery services, maps and navigation, reskilling programs, AI-powered smart speakers, a proprietary cloud platform, online video and music streaming, and much more. The experience of building an ecosystem like that can be replicated in other places, but certain conditions need to be met.
What kind of market conditions do you mean?
Simply put, the conditions that create diversity and competition in digital markets. Competitive technology markets generate benefits for all players, including governments, businesses, developers and end users.
This creates broader choices for consumers and encourages businesses to improve service quality, lower prices and innovate. Additionally, a diverse technology market means more advertising options for businesses, as well as more competitive advertising prices, benefiting the country's digital economy in general.
As an example, we can look at the recently implemented Digital Markets Act (DMA). This law from the European Union aims to create a fairer and more competitive digital market by influencing the policies of companies that have a large influence on the market.
Legislation such as the DMA plays an important role in creating conditions that encourage diversity and competition. Indonesia is taking steps in this direction by requiring ESO registration.
Creating conditions that encourage diversity in digital markets means creating equal opportunities for different players who can localize their businesses in everything: legal, financial and technological.
What are Yandex's plans for Indonesia? We are ready to share plans regarding any future products, further develop Yandex Search and will continue to optimize our technology solutions with a focus on local user needs, as well as work to build meaningful partnerships in the digital community.