COMMENT | Better planning needed to narrow Malaysia's AI gap

COMMENT | Imagine a marathon runner sprinting off the starting line without any training or even proper shoes. Chances are they’ll collapse well before they finish.

Malaysia’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and digital policy today looks a lot like that overly eager runner, racing ahead with flashy new systems before doing the basic training and prep work.

We are pushing out policies and high-tech platforms, yet we have not had the foundational debates or built the sturdy infrastructure needed to support them.

At a recent China-Asean AI conference organised by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, participants saw how other countries are pacing themselves for the long run.

Policymakers and industry players from around the region were deep in discussions about AI assurance, safety standards, and...