On Thursday, Malaysia inaugurated a national artificial intelligence office to shape policies and address regulatory issues, aiming to become a regional AI development hub. Over the past year, the Southeast Asian nation has attracted billions in investments from global tech firms to build essential infrastructure for meeting the rising demand for cloud and AI services.
This new office will act as a centralised AI agency, focusing on strategic planning, research and development, and regulatory oversight, among other functions, as detailed on its website.
In its first year, the office plans to achieve seven key objectives, including creating a code of ethics, establishing an AI regulatory framework, and formulating a five-year AI technology action plan extending to 2030.
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Additionally, the government announced strategic partnerships with six companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, all of which have launched data centre, cloud, and AI projects in Malaysia over the past year.
Digital initiatives have significantly boosted Malaysia’s economy in 2024, with the investment authority reporting 71.1 billion ringgit ($16.06 billion) in approved investments in the information and communications sub-sector this week.
