The government is pursuing a dual-track strategy to tackle the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI), combining enforcement under existing laws with the proposed AI Governance Bill to strengthen accountability and oversight across the technology’s lifecycle.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the approach is designed to address emerging risks posed by advanced technologies, including deepfakes, synthetic content and identity manipulation, while ensuring innovation is developed responsibly.
He said the proposed legislation would complement existing legal frameworks by introducing safeguards from the development stage through to the deployment of AI systems.
“This layered strategy ensures that existing legal measures and the AI Governance Bill work together to balance innovation with systemic risk control,” he said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said the legislation is intended not only to curb misuse but also to establish a comprehensive framework to ensure AI systems are developed and deployed safely from the outset.
The minister added that the government is also reviewing existing laws to strengthen protections against emerging threats linked to AI, including child exploitation, sexual offences and unlawful content.
“AI cuts across all sectors. We need to regulate the process from start to finish. Content generated by AI must be dealt with if it violates the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gobind said the government is prioritising a secure AI ecosystem through stronger governance, data protection and rigorous product assessments.
He said AI models under development must meet safety requirements, with safeguards in place to ensure data security and allow authorities to scrutinise AI-generated products before they are released.
The proposed AI Governance Bill forms part of Malaysia’s broader efforts to regulate rapidly evolving technologies while safeguarding public safety, national interests and individual rights.
