MY govt to look into establishing a regulatory framework for AI

Malaysia’s communications and digital minister, Fahmi Fadzil, is reportedly looking to establish a regulatory framework to address ethical matters regarding artificial intelligence. He made the announcement at a press conference following his keynote address at the Public Sector Day in Malaysia.

Don't miss: 73% of consumers trust content by generative AI: Here's why they shouldn't 

He added that the establishment of the framework is aimed at helping the government understand some of the challenges using the new technology, explaining that experts from government agencies and the industry are needed to shed more light on some of the challenges, according to Bernama. This is especially since the prominence of AI is bound to have an impact on the employment sector.

Another ministry that has made apparent its attempts at the regulation of AI applications in Malaysia is the science, technology and innovation ministry. Reported by The Straits Times, the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Chang Lih Kang said that the ministry is considering spearheading the drafting of a bill that would push for consultations with technology experts, legal professionals, stakeholders as well as the public.

Minister Chang went on to add that this is a strategic move on Malaysia’s part, especially since countries around the world are investing more attention in building stronger regulations around AI usage.

One of the ways in which the minister highlighted regulation is through labelling of any material produced by AI as being ‘AI-generated’ or ‘AI-assisted’ to ensure transparency and enable informed consumption. He added that the Malaysian government should actively explore and advocate for policy measures that require content produced entirely on in part by AI, to be clearly identified.

Earlier this year in June, the European Union took a step towards passing a major law to regulate artificial intelligence, which is a potential model for policymakers around the world to grapple with how to put guard rails on the rapidly developing technology. Called the “AI Act”, the legislation is also designed to resolve “ethical questions and implementation challenges” in various industries, including education, finance and healthcare as reported by CNBC. 

Undoubtedly, being wary of AI's potential is absolutely necessary, it was found in a survey by Capgemini Research Institute that 70% of Singaporean consumers, compared to 73% of consumers globally, trust content created by generative AI. This spans across many aspects of life, from financial planning and medical diagnosis, to even relationship advice.

It was also found that 70% of consumers globally use generative AI tools to seek recommendations for new products and services and that 65% of Singaporean consumers, compared to 64% globally, are open to making purchases based on these recommendations.

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