Putrajaya working towards framework to regulate AI

07 Jun 2023

The government will develop a framework to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Malaysia, according to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang today.

Malaysia was also aiming for the AI industry to create 10,000 positions in the country and eventually grow the country’s economy by 30 per cent, the minister said in a written reply to Merbok MP Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan.

“This regulatory framework is important as a guide in developing the artificial intelligence ecosystem in the country,” the minister said.

Mohd Nazri had asked about the ministry’s plans to introduce policies and frameworks to regulate AI in the face of its growing use globally.

Part of this regulatory framework would include governance and benchmark indices on AI, Chang said.

The use of AI was focused on the management of the supply chain in 10 socioeconomic drivers to boost its ecosystem, such as healthcare, education, agriculture and smart cities, he said.

Last month, senior analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Farlina Said told Malay Mail that there were no existing laws specifically for regulating AI, but that existing policies such as the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2010 can be used as a foundation.

Jun-E Tan, senior research associate at Khazanah Research Institute, said that to start, an effective regulatory framework for AI should first define the different types of AI — while also being flexible enough to accommodate emerging technologies as they evolve.

Last year, Chang’s ministry launched the Malaysia AI Roadmap (AI-Rmap) in 2021, with the aim of overseeing and managing the development and deployment of AI technologies in Malaysia.

Source: Malay Mail