The Next AI War Won’t Be About Intelligence
For the past three years, the global artificial intelligence race has been obsessed with one question: who has the smartest model? Every major release from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, and China’s DeepSeek has been judged by benchmark scores, reasoning ability, coding performance, and the capacity to solve increasingly complex tasks.
Stop military training for KDMP/KNMP managers!
Basic military training for KDMP/KNMP managers has once again come under public scrutiny. The deaths of two participants during the program have now been followed by three more fatalities in recent days. As before, the Ministry of Defense has pledged to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. Yet the recurring incidents make one wonder whether participant safety was ever a central consideration in the program’s design.
Gaurav Srivastava, Hashim & Prabowo (1)
In this week’s edition, Tempo magazine posted three articles about Gaurav Srivastava, labelled as fake CIA operative by former business partner Niels Troost (Dutch-born controversial oil trader initially sanctioned by EU for his alleged links to Russian oil), and his network in Indonesia, including President Prabowo Subianto, brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo, and Indra Bakrie (Bakrie Group’s key person for oil and gas business).
MORA > Telkom + Tower operators
Shares of ICT company Ekamas Mora Republik (MORA), controlled by Sinarmas Group, ended lower by 3.5% to Rp7,575 last Friday (Jun 26). At this price, MORA was worth Rp362 trillion, substantially bigger than Telkom (TLKM), market leader in ICT business.
Further pressures on Bakrie’s media business
Visi Media Asia (VIVA), parent of TVOne and ANTV stations, has just released its financial report for the period ended March 31, 2026 alongside Intermedia Capital (MDIA), immediate parent of ANTV.
Week ahead
Iran has reportedly launched retaliatory attacks on US forces in Bahrain and Kuwait, while the US has bombed Iran, hitting some areas, following a drone attack on a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Muara Enim case
The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) raid on the South Sumatra office of the Audit Board (BPK) on June 23, 2026, marked a new turn in the case involving Muara Enim Regent Edison. What began as a corruption case tied to the procurement of goods and services...
Latest on Kresna Life case
The legal battle surrounding Kresna Life has now entered a new phase. While the Supreme Court’s administrative ruling strengthened OJK’s authority to revoke the company’s business license, criminal law enforcement has finally begun to catch up with those believed to be responsible for one of Indonesia’s largest insurance failures.
Intiland: What’s up?
Shares of property developer Intiland Development (DILD) ended lower to Rp113 Thursday (Jun 25) to make a market capitalization of Rp1.17 trillion, not even half of its equity (Rp6.77 trillion). It is not alone, of course. Bumi Serpong Damai (BSDE) is now worth Rp12.1 trillion, also nothing compared to its equity (Rp52.7 trillion).
Going downhill
Shrinking civil space, growing militarization, worsening graft, governance issues in flagship programs (free meal, village cooperatives, food estate, People’s School), fiscal discipline (including expansion of Danantara’s blurred mandates), legal and policy uncertainties (centralization of export of resources, forex earnings, abrupt revocation of permits without due process) are all contributing to worsening perception on Indonesia.