DANANTARA AND THE MISSING PRIORITIES: Why Smart Cities Are Not the Answer to the AI and Energy Race
DANANTARA AND THE MISSING PRIORITIES: Why Smart Cities Are Not the Answer to the AI and Energy Race Core thesis: Danantara—Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara—has just announced plans to build 12 Smart Cities. But in that announcement, there is not a single word about AI, energy, or lithium. This article is not about accusing any particular individual. It is an analysis of why the wrong priorities can leave Indonesia behind in the global race—and why Smart Cities, without AI and energy, are just buildings without brains. --- HOOK 12 Smart Cities. That was the announcement from Danantara—Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara—as reported by the media in October 2026. The locations: Padalarang, Deli Serdang, and 10 other sites. The project is big. The project is ambitious. The project is expensive. But there is one problem: in that announcement—there is not a single word about AI, energy, or lithium. The question is not "are Smart Ci...