In an interview with FMT, Chang said efforts will be made to encourage higher adoption of AI and develop the talent pool needed to manage the technology.
Given that the technology already exists, it is now just a matter of making sure it is adopted across various sectors, he said.
“The most difficult part is to develop an ecosystem, to have regulation, (and) to regulate that ecosystem.
“Everything has to start from scratch. That is the most important and most difficult part. For instance, now we have this AI technology, we need to encourage people to adopt AI,” he said.
“At the same time, we need to develop talent. We can’t have people who are willing to adopt AI but don’t have enough talent (to manage it),” he added.
Chang expressed hope that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be encouraged to adopt AI.
Given that they account for a huge proportion of companies registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia, collectively they will make up a sizeable enough market to create an ecosystem, he said.
Chang also said adopting AI can bring several benefits. For instance, in agriculture it can help to improve farm management while in manufacturing it can better detect defects in electronic devices.
In education, the minister said, AI can be used by teachers to make lessons fun and interesting.
He pointed out that developing the ecosystem requires cross-ministerial effort.
The higher education ministry plays a vital role in producing or training talents in the technology, he said.
He said the education ministry can create interest among students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to enable them to pick up AI concepts more easily.
Chang added that the digital ministry would be tasked with increasing the adoption of AI in both private and public sectors. Meanwhile, the human resources ministry will be responsible for reskilling and upskilling the existing workforce in all things AI.
Framework first, legislation later
The government is currently in the final stages of formulating an AI governance and ethics framework, which is expected to be launched within the year.
The framework, which comprises seven principles to ensure responsible use of the technology, is expected to set parameters for AI users across all industries. It will outline the do’s and don’ts but will not be legally binding.
Chang described the framework as a “living document”, a first step towards regulating the use of AI.
He said laws are already in place to deal with irresponsible parties who misuse the technology. These include the Penal Code, the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
“But, of course, the technology is becoming more and more advanced. We will need to have a new piece of legislation for sure, but in the future,” he added.