By Santhia Panjanadan
CYBERJAYA: Malaysia’s artificial intelligence (AI) transformation must reach the rakyat and not remain within government agencies, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“If we have this AI Nation for government departments but not for the rakyat, it does not make sense. An AI Nation must benefit both government departments and the public as Malaysia strengthens its AI capabilities,” he said in his speech at the launch of AI Malaysia here on Tuesday.
The challenge now, he said, is to widen access to AI, describing it as the “democratisation of access to AI”.
AI Malaysia, established as a national body, aims to support the country’s AI adoption efforts, encourage innovation and oversee digital skills development programmes. It was established as an initiative by the Asean Business Advisory Council Malaysia.
Widening AI access would require changes in policies, allocation and commitment, and all parties must play a role in ensuring the technology could be accessed more broadly.
It cannot continue within traditional structures, as digitalisation would require efforts across departments, agencies, the private sector and society, the prime minister said.
He said resistance towards change was not only found among conservative or traditional groups, but could also happen among those who were comfortable with existing methods.
Those given the exposure, education and confidence will be able to accept the changes, he said, adding that Malaysia must ensure the transformation did not widen gaps between urban and rural communities, as well as different groups.
Acknowledging the challenges surrounding the technology, he said the focus should not be on the challenges alone but to also push for better understanding and mastering of the technologies.
On the concerns surrounding AI, including security, sovereign cloud and ethics, he said these issues must be addressed as Malaysia continues strengthening its AI capabilities.
–WE