PT KAI (Indonesian Railways) Independent Commissioner Endang Tirtana emphasized that adaptability, empathy, and human values remain irreplaceable pillars even amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI).
He shared this message during a keynote speech titled “Preparing a Transformative Generation That Is Competent, Adaptive, and Impactful in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” delivered at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang’s (UMM) 123rd graduation ceremony for 2026.
In his address, Endang used PT KAI’s own digital transformation as a real-world example of how technology should be used to strengthen, rather than replace, human roles.
KAI’s Transformation: Technology Centered Around People
Endang explained that service digitalization at PT KAI has fundamentally changed how the company interacts with its passengers:
A Surge in Digital Transactions, The Access by KAI app recorded up to 17 million ticket sales transactions for long-distance and local trains in the first half of 2026.
An Integrated Ecosystem, KAI has evolved from simply a train operator into a fully integrated transportation ecosystem, connecting commuter rail, LRT, MRT, high-speed rail, freight rail, and airport rail services.
Customer Satisfaction as the Real Benchmark, The success of KAI’s digitalization efforts is measured through customer comfort, with KAI’s Customer Satisfaction Index reaching 4.53 out of 5, based on more than 2.2 million service interactions in the first half of 2026.
Technology Changes, But People Shouldn’t
Despite rapid technological advancement, Endang emphasized that service quality ultimately still comes down to the human factor.
“How we buy tickets has changed. How we access information has changed. How we interact with customers has changed. But amid all that change, there’s one thing that must not change: people. Because no matter how sophisticated the technology or how well-built the system, in the end, it’s people who determine the quality of service,” Endang said.
“The smarter technology becomes, the wiser people must become,” he added.
The Future Job Landscape and the Importance of Human Skills
Citing Goldman Sachs Research data (April 2026), Endang noted that AI is estimated to have suppressed US payroll growth by up to 16,000 jobs per month over the past year. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects the emergence of 170 million new jobs, alongside the displacement of 92 million existing job types, by 2030.
To address the challenges posed by this shifting job landscape, Endang urged graduates to sharpen skills that can’t be replicated by machines:
Strengthening Non-Routine Capabilities, Creativity, communication, collaboration, decision-making, empathy, and social context understanding become critical foundations as routine work increasingly gets taken over by AI.
Using Technology Wisely, AI should be positioned as a supporting tool to enhance one’s own capabilities, without eroding faith or empathy.
“The more AI takes over routine work, the more important human ability to understand other humans becomes. The smarter technology gets, the wiser people need to be,” he emphasized.
A Closing Message to Graduates
Closing his address, Endang encouraged UMM’s young graduates to never stop learning and to be ready to become a generation that is “Ready to Work, Ready to Solve, and Ready to Serve”, prepared to work, solve problems, and make real contributions to society.
Endang’s message reflects a broader conversation happening across industries right now: as AI increasingly automates routine tasks, the skills that remain genuinely valuable are the ones machines struggle to replicate, empathy, judgment, and the ability to navigate human relationships. For graduates entering a workforce being reshaped by AI, that’s arguably more actionable career advice than any specific technical skill they could learn.
