Indonesian tech company GoTo and telecom company Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison have introduced a big step forward for Indonesia’s AI development. They launched Sahabat-AI, a powerful language model with 70 billion settings, along with a chat service that works in multiple languages.
The two companies said in a statement on Monday that this new launch builds on the first version of Sahabat-AI, which was introduced at Indosat’s Indonesia AI Day in November 2024.
They said it’s an important step in helping Indonesia take more control over its digital future, in line with the government’s goals.
Sahabat-AI has now been upgraded to 70 billion parameters, which makes it more accurate. Thanks to this upgrade, a new chat service is now available. You can use it by visiting sahabat-ai.com or by finding it under “Popular Services” on the GoPay app’s home screen.
The new chat service is smart and can understand complex questions. It gives clear, helpful answers in a way that feels natural and easy to understand.
“With the launch of our 70 billion parameter model and the new chat service, Sahabat-AI takes a major leap forward in building a uniquely Indonesian AI ecosystem,” said Patrick Walujo, Chief Executive Officer of GoTo Group.
He said that because Sahabat-AI can understand many languages and is more accurate, it can better help the different people and businesses all over the country.
He also said this shows the company’s promise to keep control of technology in Indonesia and supports President Prabowo’s goal of creating technology that is made and managed right here in the country.
“By building this model in partnership with Indosat and a broad range of partners, we’ve created a platform that is smarter, faster, and more affordable,” he said.
He said the company is also adding the Sahabat-AI chat service to the GoPay app, which millions of people use. This makes it easy for everyone in the country to use and enjoy this special Indonesian AI tool.
“Sahabat-AI is already making a significant impact on customers across the GoTo ecosystem, lowering costs, improving service quality, and deepening engagement,
“More than a technological breakthrough, Sahabat-AI is a strategic advantage for us and a powerful engine of growth for Indonesia’s digital economy,” he added.
Vikram Sinha, the CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, said that with GPU Merdeka, their own AI cloud, the company is building a strong digital base. This will make sure AI technology is not just advanced but also safe for the country, fits local culture, and is fair for everyone to use.
“Sahabat-AI is more than a model — it’s a national asset powered by collaboration and built for all Indonesians,” he added.
Indosat started the Sahabat-AI project as part of its bigger goal to help and support Indonesia.
Indosat uses its AI system called GPU Merdeka from Lintasarta – Indosat’s AI Factory – to support Sahabat-AI. This technology helps Sahabat-AI learn, understand, and grow and also allows it to offer real-time services in many languages.
This local system makes sure data stays in the country, works well, and follows the rules. This is very important for government use and for businesses to create new ideas.
The newest Sahabat-AI model can now understand and work with five local languages—Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and Bataknese—plus several international languages.
“By developing AI solutions that understand and cater to our unique yet diverse linguistic and cultural landscape, we are taking a significant step towards ensuring digital transformation benefits all Indonesians,” said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Chairman of the National Economic Council.
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