‘Not trying to solve world hunger’: GoTo takes pragmatic AI path

Gojek's parent company, GoTo, is focusing its AI investments on practical applications that can improve conversion rates or reduce costs, before a wider rollout is expected in 2027. In an interview at the Tech in Asia Conference 2026, GoTo's president and CEO, Hans Patuwo, clarified that "we are not trying to solve world hunger" with AI, emphasizing that it should transform a business without transforming it into a completely different entity.

Two main measures guide GoTo's AI projects: whether they enhance user conversion or lower customer service costs. For example, AI now handles 35% of customer complaint tickets, with satisfaction scores 20% higher than average. Financial services have seen a three percentage point increase in collection rates due to AI bots. GoTo uses a mix of large models, open-source technology, and smaller models trained on Indonesian data, which helps control costs as the expenses from using tokens from overseas AI providers are paid in US dollars.

The company adopts AI gradually, starting with 70 to 80% adoption and avoiding full automation, especially in regulatory work and high-touch interactions, such as those involving Gojek drivers.