UMS Student Claims National Title for Opinion Piece on Brain Rot and AI

Muhammad Farhan, a Communication Science student at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), won 1st place in the Vision 2025 opinion writing competition, organized by the Student Press Organization (LPM) Visi of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS).

Amid the rise of AI, often described as a double-edged sword, Farhan highlights the phenomenon of human dependence on artificial intelligence through a neutral lens. His work is titled “Solusi Mangkus Mendayagunakan AI Tanpa Terkena Brain Rot” (Effective Solutions for Using AI Without Falling Into Brain Rot).

“Competitions like that demand novelty, so the angle can’t be too general, it has to be specific,” he explained when interviewed on Thursday (4/12/2025).

The fifth-semester student said he studied three different perspectives on technology through the course Perkembangan Teknologi Komunikasi: dystopian, neo-futurism, and techno-realist. From these differing viewpoints, he then built a new perspective that functions as a bridge between two opposing positions.

“The extreme views are like, some people are really afraid of AI, and others see it as completely good. Well, I’m neither; I’m in the middle,” Farhan said.

During the preparation process, Farhan explained that his reading habit and the writing skills he has continually sharpened as a member of the Student Press Organization (LPM) Pabelan became the main factors supporting him in developing his research.

“I really like reading, so the effect is that there’s always something in my head to talk about,” he explained.

His idea of analyzing contemporary issues surrounding the brain rot phenomenon through a specific perspective led him to this victory. Despite winning, Farhan believes every piece of work still requires critical evaluation.

“I never feel that my writing is perfect, there will always be shortcomings,” he said.

Responding to Farhan’s achievement, the Head of the Communication Science Program, Sidiq Setyawan, S.I.Kom., M.I.Kom., expressed his appreciation for Farhan’s win, particularly for the relevance of the theme, which aligns closely with contemporary issues.

“Alhamdulillah, we have another national-level achievement from our communication students, especially in terms of writing skills, and even more so on cases related to AI and the brain rot phenomenon,” he said.

The study program head emphasized the importance of expressing ideas through written work. For him, the essence of knowledge lies in continually presenting new innovations, just as writing serves to convey one's personal ideas to others.

“The goal is indeed to make others aware of our ideas, ideas that may later be debated by many people,” he conveyed.

Writer: Roselia Puspita Asri

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid