Data vs. disinformation: Chatbot FaktaIklim tackles climate myths
FaktaIklim is Indonesia’s first AI-powered chatbot that addresses climate misinformation in local languages. The aim: to empower users to verify climate claims using accessible, evidence-based information. It’s a powerful example of how AI can support public awareness—by speaking the language of the people.
Launched in 2024 through a collaboration between FAIR Forward, Prosa.AI, and BAPPENAS, FaktaIklim is much more than a chatbot. It’s a multilingual, open-source platform built on the belief that information, especially about an urgent issue such as the climate crisis, must be inclusive, accessible, and culturally grounded. That’s why FaktaIklim is available not just in Indonesian, but also in Minangkabau, Balinese, and Buginese—languages often underrepresented in digital tools.
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Our goal was to build a system that truly reflects Indonesia’s diversity.
Ayu Purwarianti, Chief Scientist at Prosa.AI
FaktaIklim uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse and classify user-submitted content. It checks inputs against verified information from government agencies, newsrooms, and research institutions, labelling them as true, false, misleading, or unverifiable—while providing links to reliable references.
Local myths, local solutions
But FaktaIklim doesn’t stand alone. It builds upon efforts highlighted in a study by the APNIC Foundation, which mapped how climate misinformation spreads in Indonesia. The results were clear: climate myths are not only pervasive, but also deeply local—such as claims that volcanic eruptions drive global warming or that climate change is a hoax created by global rulers.
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AI should help journalist’s work to give more efficiency in producing credible and trusted news. Through FaktaIklim, we believe it will be a reliable tool for journalist performance, especially in environmental issues.
Fira Abdurachman, Secretary General of Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists, testing user in the implementation workshop of FaktaIklim, 12 March 2025
FaktaIklim addresses these narratives by providing scientific context. Its interface helps users explore these myths, showing how frequently they’re reported, and breaking down the facts behind each debunking in accessible language. It’s not just an AI engine—it’s an educational tool.
We observed the same patterns in our research. People were often unsure about what to believe—and even more unsure about where to check information. We built FaktaIklim to meet that need.
Mokhamad Wildan Marzuqon, Product Manager at Prosa.AI
Free, open, and human-centred
The tool is freely accessible via faktaiklim.prosa.ai or a Telegram chatbot. Users can report questionable content and receive an instant preliminary AI assessment, while Prosa.AI’s verification team reviews flagged cases before updating the platform.
A key feature: the human factor remains central. FaktaIklim emphasises the importance of human oversight in AI tools, particularly when dealing with complex narratives. Verified entries are reviewed, categorised, and made searchable so that every fact check benefits the wider community.
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As a model is good to give benchmark, but I think the development will need to focus on gathering new source data and the good governance of the management system will involve more verifier and other stakeholders.
Afgiansyah, Lecturer of Communication Science, Universitas Mercu Buana
FaktaIklim is a tool created by and for Indonesians. In the battle against climate misinformation, it shows that AI isn’t just a solution, it’s a starting point. It bridges the gap between data and dialogue—not replacing human judgement, but amplifying trusted, inclusive evidence in the languages people speak and understand.
