Technology and artificial intelligence advancements must be balanced with efforts to preserve human values and national identity to ensure they are not eroded, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said.

“Malaysia must strive to balance between these two key points to remain globally competitive. It can do this while also allocating sufficient resources to ensure education initiatives, training and infrastructure conducive to the technology and AI sector’s growth,” he said.

The prime minister spoke at the inauguration of AI Malaysia, a national AI entity under the Digital Ministry.

Mr Anwar, who is also Malaysia’s finance minister, said AI adoption must begin with the education system by introducing students to the technology from school level, linking policy to early learning.

This, he said, can be done while strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, technical and vocational education and training, teacher training and supporting infrastructure, to support the approach.

Digital minister Gobind Singh Deo said Malaysia’s aspiration to become an AI nation by 2030 requires a shift from a government-centric approach to a whole-of-nation approach involving industry, academia, the public and related sectors, to support the goal.

AI Malaysia represents the enhancement and formal institutionalisation of the National AI Office, which was established on December 12, 2024, to drive the country’s future technology transformation agenda under the Digital Ministry.

(Xinhua/NAN)