KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia does not need to take sides in the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) race dominated by the United States (US) and China, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Speaking during a panel session at the Fortune Asean-GCC Economic Forum today, Saifuddin said Malaysia has instead chosen a pragmatic and balanced approach that delivers real benefits to its people.
"The fact is that in today's world, AI is led by two major powers, the US and China. The technology race confirms that both countries are ahead in AI research, investment and even global influence.
"But the question here is, for a country like Malaysia, our practical solution or position is that we do not need to choose sides.
"Instead, we have chosen to work with both, and I believe this decision has brought us real benefits. It allows us to bring the most relevant, affordable, and effective AI tools into our country," he said.
Saifuddin added that Malaysia chooses only what is best for the needs of its people, and that such a balanced approach by not aligning exclusively with one side, has given the country greater room to negotiate, innovate, and protect its national interest.
He also said it has given Malaysia the upper hand in building trust with more partners across Asean, the GCC and globally.
"Our open-door policy means our young people can train in Silicon Valley or Shenzhen, and our companies can learn from both American and Chinese players in the AI ecosystem.
"I think that is a clear benefit of taking the position that we enjoy the best of both worlds.
"We are not focusing on developing AI technology itself, but on how best we can leverage AI applications to solve people's problems. That is our priority at the moment," he said.
Source: NST