KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia seeks collaboration with partners to build artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and compete with confidence in the global digital economy, not to merely be a user of such technology, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.
While embracing AI and rolling it out in various applications, the government's focus remains on the people, with efforts to drive economic advancement and prosperity anchored in equity and social justice, Anwar said in his speech at the launch of the Huawei AI Lab and Innovation Centre.
"Pursuing digital transformation driven merely by the quest for material progress will be counterproductive if it leads to the enlargement of social inequities," he said in his keynote address.
He also said Malaysia will remain open to investment from friendly nations, as well as partnerships with companies that respect its national laws and priorities, but will continue ensuring its own sovereignty.
"We will not relinquish the decisions that matter most, how our data is governed, how AI systems are used in our public institutions, and how new technologies are introduced into the lives of our citizens," he said.
Anwar extended congratulations to Huawei on the opening of its first AI Lab and Innovation Centre outside China, thanking the company for showing confidence in Malaysia. "The training, the exposure, the facilities shared, I think it symbolizes the real partnership between us," added the prime minister.
The newly launched center is set to serve the wider Asia Pacific region, according to Huawei.
With a total area of 13,638 square feet, the facility offers ample space to demonstrate Huawei's latest solutions and use cases for digital and energy transformation, encourage deeper collaboration on innovation and ecosystem development, as well as closer engagement between industry and education stakeholders to train more Malaysian AI talent, according to the company. ■