By BERNAMA

MALAYSIA Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) is establishing an artificial intelligence (AI) unit to support the setting up of the National AI Framework, which is now more than 50% ready.

CEO Surina Shukri said the unit would comprise a mix of local and international experts to ensure Malaysia is on the right track to develop an AI ecosystem in the country.

She said the international experts have been identified and are ready to help Malaysia develop the industry.

Citing an example, she said the UK has a similar AI unit with all the related agencies coming together and focusing on AI.

“We are still in the process of getting feedback. The topic is important and we need to make sure we think of the right aspects,” she told a press conference on the Beyond Paradigm Summit 2019 (BPS 2019), which is organised by Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd.

“AI is a new topic for Malaysia. We need to understand and we would share on how to participate for either the industry, government, or academia. So, we would outline all that,” she said.

Surina noted that various initiatives and workshops have been done since early this year in setting up the national AI framework, which is slated to be launched at the end of the year.

She said it is important to transform the nation to become an AI hub and lay foundation frameworks and policies related to the main pillar of the Industry 4.0 by continuously engaging and encouraging the private sector and related agencies to play a vital role in this digital transformation.

The MDEC CEO expressed hope that the summit — which will be held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre on July 17 and 18 — would be among the platforms to meet with multiple stakeholders to gather inputs on AI to best serve businesses, consumers and citizens.

The Malaysian Investment Development Authority is a co-organiser of BPS 2019, while MDEC and Microsoft Corp are the official partners.

Telekom Malaysia Bhd is one of the technology partners of the summit.

The summit will also be held in Kuching, Sarawak, at the Pullman Hotel on July 20 and 21 to showcase the opportunities being offered by the Industry 4.0 technologies. — Bernama