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Dr. I Putu Andre Suhardiana Becomes Keynote Speaker at E-SAPARI Discussing Digital Literacy in the AI Era

DENPASAR, October 25, 2025 – The Reasoning and Research Student Activity Unit (UKM Penalaran dan Riset) of Universitas Hindu Negeri I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa Denpasar successfully held the 18th E-SAPARI (Seminar Series on Reasoning and Research) online via Zoom on Saturday (October 25, 2025). The event, themed “Media Literacy Research in the Digital Era,” featured Dr. I Putu Andre Suhardiana, S.Pd., M.Pd., a lecturer from the English Education Department, Faculty of Dharma Acarya, UHN I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa Denpasar, as the keynote speaker. He delivered a presentation entitled “The Dialectics of Humanism and Technology in the Constellation of Media Ethics in the AI Era.”

In his presentation, Dr. Suhardiana opened with an engaging analogy, describing the AI-driven digital world as a “new metropolitan city without traffic signs,” where AI is like a fast self-driving car, and digital literacy and media ethics act as the traffic rules that prevent chaos. He emphasized the paradigm shift from operational competence to critical and ethical competence—stating that the real challenge for today’s generation is not merely how to use technology, but how to become “wise drivers” in the digital era, capable of “reading” algorithms.

Dr. Suhardiana explained that the “old” digital era—linear and human-centered—has transformed into a hybrid and complex “AI era,” where AI can generate original content such as fake news, deepfakes, or manipulated videos spread through the synergy between social media algorithms and uncritical users. This shift has blurred the line between authenticity and falsity and created confusion about human and machine identities.

To respond to this condition, he introduced the concept of “Critical Thinking 2.0,” which comprises three key pillars. The first is verifying the source of content by questioning whether the information originates from a human or a machine, demonstrated through tools like AI detectors and reverse image search. The second is uncovering AI bias, recognizing that AI is not a neutral entity because it learns from human data full of prejudice—such as recruitment systems biased against gender due to unbalanced historical data. The third is recognizing AI hallucinations, where AI can confidently produce fabricated statistics or quotations, underscoring the importance of cross-checking information with independent sources, especially for academic purposes.

Beyond cognitive skills, he underscored the ethical foundation encapsulated in the principle “Do No Harm.” He emphasized that AI is a neutral tool—whether it becomes constructive or destructive depends on its users. Two ethical imperatives were highlighted: the obligation to label AI-generated content as a form of transparency, and the rejection of deceit or misrepresentation, such as deepfakes.

Dr. Suhardiana also explored the philosophical dilemma of authenticity in the AI age, questioning what it means to be “original” when AI can write poetry or create art. He asked whether humans must sacrifice soul and experience for the sake of efficiency. The solution, he argued, is to position AI as an assistant, not a replacement—using it for brainstorming, summarizing, or inspiration, while maintaining human analysis, empathy, and creativity as the essence of authentic work.

To build collective resilience, he called for multi-sector collaboration: educational institutions should integrate media and AI literacy into their curricula; communities should promote public campaigns like #CheckBeforeShare; and governments must prepare legal frameworks such as AI content watermarking, deepfake restrictions, and data privacy protections.

In closing, Dr. Suhardiana shared a compelling message, presenting two possible futures: AI as a “Good Servant” that simplifies life, or as a “Bad Master” that manipulates and divides humanity—the choice, he said, lies in human hands. He encouraged students to be more critical in consuming information, more honest in producing and sharing content, and more responsible in digital interactions—starting with simple acts such as verifying before sharing and becoming digital literacy ambassadors in their communities.

The seminar, which ran interactively with enthusiastic participation, sparked insightful discussions and numerous critical questions from attendees. It is expected to inspire the emergence of young changemakers ready to embrace technological progress without losing their sense of humanity.