Malaysia Aims To Become Global AI Powerhouse - Wilson

The Malaysian government has seized the opportunity presented by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), working hard to transform the country into a global AI powerhouse, said Deputy Digital Minister Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong.

He said that the government is realising this goal by simultaneously focusing on three aspects, namely AI talent, AI infrastructure, and global leadership in the AI supply chain.

In his keynote address at a summit themed “Transforming the Global Digital Economy with Generative AI”, he noted that Malaysia is in a great position to build nationwide AI talent, both by improving the quality of life for the people and leading the world in generative AI-driven innovation.

“Malaysia's AI talent is being developed through three types of initiatives supported by the government, namely skills-building, AI research and development, and entrepreneurship," said Wilson.

As for the AI infrastructure, he pointed out that AI computing is provided in data centres connected to the electricity grid and telecommunication networks; hence, this has become a national resource that Malaysia needs to fuel its AI-led economic growth.

The deputy minister said that Malaysia has had a strong start with the buildout of AI computing data centres with over US$20 billion in committed investments over the next two to three years.

He stressed that the country needs to build on this momentum and offer developer-friendly access to AI computing for efficient utilisation of this resource.

On building the AI supply chain, he shared that, being an early mover in the generative AI-led economic transformation, Malaysia can become a global leader in the segment.

“A global leadership will propel AI-led growth in the Malaysian economy beyond the McKinsey estimates,” he said.

A McKinsey-led study in 2018 indicated that AI could add about 1.2% growth to the Malaysian economy over and above the baseline of 4.5% to 5% rate.

This summit, organised by the Securities Commission Malaysia and The Hive, supported by Penjana Kapital, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, and the Malaysian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, aims to foster innovation with generative AI among corporations and establish Malaysia as the AI hub of Southeast Asia.

Among the speakers at the summit are those from local and foreign corporations, including NVIDIA, YTL, Sunway, Gamuda, Google, and 500 Global.