KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's take on artificial intelligence (AI) governance should be out by end of this year, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said.
"We are hoping to do it (AI governance) by the end of the year. The question now is whether or not it is going to be code of ethics, whether or not we want to look at regulation, whether or not we think that we should follow the footsteps of European Union (EU) AI Act, or we should go with what America has done with the Biden Executive Order," he told reporters at the Lazada Seller Summit 2024 today.
The EU AI Act is the efirst ever legal framework on AI. It provides AI developers and deployers with clear requirements and obligations regarding specific uses of AI.
The US' Executive Order on AI, on the other hand establishes new standards for AI safety and security, while promoting innovation and competition.
The minister said the current focus is on AI governance, specifically whether to implement regulations like the European Union (EU) Act, or adopt an approach like the Biden Executive Order in the U.S.
"These are the things we are thinking about and moving towards Asean. We realise the significance of AI and how it is.We need to make sure that there is some form of governance but it is still in the discussion stage," he told reporters at the Lazada Seller Summit 2024 today.
Gobind said that the ministry is currently in discussion with the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) Chang Lih Kang.
"We hope to get something out by the last quarter of this year," he said.
On the electricity and water efficiency standards for data centres, Gobind said the digital ministry is in the process of looking at data policy.
"Moving ahead, we must understand the impact data centres will have on both energy and water so we are now in the process of looking at data policy, what we see in the next five to 10 years and how things will be developed. "If we are going to move towards an era where we encourage AI, where we encourage new adoption of technology, then we must also accept the fact that data centres will be crucial for us to succeed," he added.
The digital minister said that due to the high energy and water demands of data centres, preparations must be made accordingly.
He said his ministry is working closely with other relevant ministries, including Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
Yesterday, Tengku Zafrul announced that the government will reveal the electricity and water efficiency standards for data centres in September, in response to the increasing investments in power and water-intensive data centres in the country.
In the meantime, Gobind mentioned that the ministry is still awaiting the report on the estimated losses resulting from the global IT outage that occurred on July 19.
"I think what is important now is that we want to know what steps have been taken to ensure that this doesn't repeat again.
"People are asking whether or not this current system that is in place is actually secure. What we need to do is to get the report and that report needs to state what steps have been taken and whether or not moving ahead, if this problem will repeat itself," he added.
Gobind mentioned that after receiving the report, the ministry will hold a press conference to explain its contents and the government's subsequent decision.