In a move that has both intrigued and confused the public, Indonesia’s Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (Regional Representative Council, or DPD RI) has unveiled “Sena,” a virtual news presenter designed to deliver updates about the council’s activities on its official YouTube channel.
Sena, who describes herself as a “digital civil servant” (ASN Digital) rather than an AI creation, made her debut in a 70-second video where she appeared in a crisp white government shirt, black hair cascading down in anime-like perfection, and a soft, almost childlike voice that immediately drew attention.
“Hi, fellow SENA-tors! I’m Sena, your digital civil servant from the DPD Secretariat. My job is to help our senators communicate with the public,” she said in the video.
And within hours, Sena went viral.
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(post by USS Feed, 30 October 2025)
A Digital Civil Servant or PR Experiment?
Sena’s character is officially said to have been “born” on 1 October 2004, the same date the DPD was established. The symbolism is deliberate: Sena’s name is derived from Senator, representing the council’s mission to connect Indonesia’s regional representatives with the public.
According to DPD’s statement, Sena’s role is to make government communication “more relatable” to younger audiences through YouTube and social media.
She will host short explainer videos about topics such as what senators do during reses (recess periods when they return to their constituencies to gather input from citizens) and how the DPD participates in national decision-making.
For a country where bureaucracy often feels distant, the idea of a friendly digital spokesperson isn’t entirely out of place. Yet, it all comes back to the presentation.
Some netizens see her as a refreshing modernisation effort, while others were seen to call it a “tone-deaf PR stunt” in a country still grappling with digital literacy and AI skepticism.
Not AI, but Not Quite Human Either
One of the more intriguing details is Sena’s insistence that she is not powered by artificial intelligence. “By the way, I’m not AI,” she declares in the video, before asking viewers to like, comment, and subscribe.
This self-disclaimer appears to respond to growing public concern over AI-generated misinformation.
For many observers of Indonesia’s digital transformation, this development represents both progress and paradox. On one hand, the government is embracing emerging media to improve transparency.
But on the other, it’s also navigating uncharted cultural and unfamiliarity, where digital personae can blur the line between communication and simulation.
Controversy Upon Deletion
Following the deletion of the content on the official media of DPD RI, the DPD’s head of protocol, Mahyu Darma, stated the character’s genesis lay in a CPNS (trainee civil-service) project. The video, he said, was not officially part of the DPD’s formal institutional content and should not have been posted through its main channels.
Though he defended the creative spark behind it, Mahyu acknowledged that oversight was lacking, and that internal editing protocols have since been tightened. He stressed the DPD still intends to “continuously do political education via newer media,” leaving open the possibility of future avatar-led content.
A Reflection of Indonesia’s New Digital Era
Looking through, Indonesia’s government has been experimenting with digital engagement for several years now, from livestreamed parliamentary sessions to interactive public service campaigns. This may look like a sign that the country is attempting a catch up with global digital trends.
Japan has already had virtual newscasters for years, and South Korea employs AI news anchors on national television.
Still, the public’s divided reaction shows how sensitive this intersection of governance and digital identity remains.
For now, Sena stands as a curious experiment. She is expected to portray Indonesia’s ambition to bridge transparency and conversation between government and its people through a digital envoy.
If successful, the presence of Sena or other ideas of digital communication models could signal a shift toward a more open and responsive public sphere, where governance doesn’t just inform but engages.
