Strengthening Human-Centered Communication in the AI Era, Pijar Foundation Highlights the Role of Technology at the IABC Indonesia Conference 2025

IABC Indonesia held its fourth annual IABC Indonesia Conference 2025 in Jakarta on Friday (14/11). This year’s conference carried the theme “Strategic Communications at the Heart of Trust, Humanity, and Digital Impact,”focusing on how strategic communication can help build trust amid rapid digital transformation.

President of IABC Indonesia, Elvera N. Makki, stated that the conference was designed to explore communication practices that are effective, human-centered, and aligned with technological developments. “What we want to explore here is how effective and strategic communication can help build trust—a value that is becoming increasingly rare and difficult to secure,” Vera said on Friday (14/11/2025).

Elvera emphasized the importance of human values within communication practices, including empathy, the ability to listen, and multidirectional interaction that goes beyond top-down approaches. She noted that digitalization, technology, and artificial intelligence continue to drive the need for more adaptive forms of communication. “Our humanity in communicating, solving problems, showing empathy, listening more, and becoming active listeners is closely tied to what we mean by humanity,” she added.

The conference also addressed daily challenges faced by communication practitioners, such as hoaxes, reframing, and maintaining organizational reputation. Elvera underlined the importance of effective communication to prevent conflict and ensure transparent dialogue. She expressed hope that participants would learn from one another, build networks, and exchange ideas on communication strategies that form the core of institutional reputation management.

The event featured three panel sessions that explored cross-sectoral issues. The first panel discussed technology and sustainability, with speakers from Danone Indonesia, Telkomsel, Inspigo, and APPRI. The second panel explored humanity by design, covering topics such as digital inclusion, logistical communication, human development policies, and strengthening public trust through government communication. The third panel highlighted modern health communication, featuring insights from IABC Indonesia, UNICEF Indonesia, and the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

The second panel featured Ferro Ferizka, Chairman of Pijar Foundation, who presented a session titled “Communicating Purpose and Progress: Aligning Culture and Technology for a Resilient, Human-Centered Nation.”He noted: “AI is not just about cutting work time but also expanding our capacity to manage more issues with the same resources. Yet behind its sophistication, the biggest challenge lies in translating technocratic language into human language that every audience can easily understand. Ultimately, technology is only a tool; what matters most is how we communicate honestly and clearly with the public, who has the right to know what we are doing.”

Through this conference, IABC Indonesia encourages collaboration among practitioners, academics, and organizational leaders to strengthen strategic communication in the digital era.