Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated the government is serious about the country’s digital transformation and wants to ensure that the general public is fully aware of its initiatives to promote digital literacy and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy.
Speaking to newsmen after the launch of the AI for the People (AI Untuk Rakyat) programme at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang on Tuesday (Jan 16), he said: “We have no choice but to get the general public to be fully aware of what I call digital and AI literacy.”
The AI for the People initiative is an online self-learning programme designed to enhance the understanding and awareness of the general public regarding AI. The programme is targeted to reach one million users by the end of 2024.
It was reported that Malaysia’s digital sector is making a significant contribution of 23.2 per cent to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), while the digital economy is slated to further boost its impact and is projected to contribute 25.5 per cent to the country’s economy by 2025 and create up to 500,000 jobs.
Monthly Reporting On AI Use Mandatory For Universities Under New Directive
Following the launch, Anwar has issued a directive for the Higher Education Ministry and public universities to report their monthly learning and usage of artificial intelligence as part of the government’s efforts to see more Malaysians embrace technology and keep the country from falling behind.
“AI is a new technology that must be mastered and accepted now. If we only talk about it today, it will take three months for universities and schools to plan for it, another six months for students to learn and adopt it, and we will have lost a year.
“So, (university) vice-chancellors who are present, I hope those in this university (UPM) and in other universities, even the Higher Education Ministry, please ensure that all students are learning AI,” Anwar said, adding, the reports on the monthly learning of AI are to be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Department.
Anwar said today that one need not specialise in information technology to adopt AI, as its usage spans many sectors and the programme was developed for Malaysians to use for free in four languages – Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil – to learn the basics about AI.
Meanwhile, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, under whose purview the programme was developed, said today that it has two models that can be completed using a flexible, self-learning approach.
The programme, which can be accessed through the AI portal, can be completed at one’s leisure or in as fast as four hours, he added.
