Malaysia Officially Launches National AI Office 

The Malaysian government on Thursday inaugurated a National Artificial Intelligence Office, marking a significant step toward strengthening its position as a regional hub for AI development.

The office is tasked with restructuring AI-related policies, addressing regulatory challenges, and fostering innovation to enhance the country’s competitiveness in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. Officials have confidence that the initiative will drive technological advancements and attract global partnerships.

The Southeast Asian country has secured billions of dollars in investment in the past year from global tech firms seeking to build critical infrastructure to meet the growing demand for its cloud and AI services.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, at the launch of the new office, said, “This is another historical moment in our digital transformation journey.”

The office is expected to serve as a centralised agency for AI, providing strategic planning, research, and development, as well as regulatory oversight, among other things, according to details published on its website.

It will also pursue seven deliverables in its first year, including developing a code of ethics, an AI regulatory framework, and a five-year AI technology action plan until 2030.

The Malaysian government on Thursday also announced strategic partnerships with six companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, which have all announced data centre, cloud, and AI projects in Malaysia in the past year.

Digital ventures have helped propel Malaysia’s economy in 2024, with 71.1 billion ringgit ($16.06 billion) in approved investments in the information and communications sub-sector, its investment authority said this week.

REUTERS/Chidimma Gold