How Malaysians can learn to love AI
DIGITAL initiatives seem to be coming fast and furious from the government.
We had the launch of the Central Database Hub, or Padu, on Jan 2 and just this week, on Tuesday, the AI for the Rakyat portal, was unveiled.
The introduction at its website, ai.gov.my, is interesting: “AI untuk Rakyat” is a self-learning online programme designed to raise public awareness about artificial intelligence (AI).
“It aims to demystify AI for people from all walks of life – a student, a stay-at-home parent, a professional in any field, a senior citizen – basically, anyone interested in getting acquainted with it and wanting to build a ‘Digital First Mindset’.”
If all goes well, the portal could indeed help to address the country’s growing digital divide as those with access to the digital world pull away from those who don’t have the means to benefit from it.
Padu is entirely designed and maintained by the government to ease fears of our data being misused in the hands of a third party.
Similarly, AI for the rakyat is largely government-driven, with the Economy Ministry working with just one private company, Intel.
And we are glad to note that apart from Bahasa Malaysia, the portal is also inclusively available in English, Chinese and Tamil (the last is rare indeed).
The government is hoping to have one million Malaysians become familiar with AI skills in three years.
That’s all well and good, but we must ensure that this portal does not go the way of previous tech initiatives, like the Multimedia Super Corridor, which did not reach its full potential.
All these digital initiatives need real support in the form of nurturing ecosystems and infrastructure, serious investment, and an open acceptance of all sorts of different talents.
Most importantly, “knowing” AI does not lessen the urgent need for solid cybersecurity laws and a moral code of ethics to govern the use and development of all digital initiatives, including AI.
As Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli stressed at the portal’s launch, there must be optimal end-to-end conditions and wholesome policies to accompany the growth of AI.
Rafizi argued that without trustworthy data and secure channels, the products and services driven by AI technology could not be implemented properly.
“To be the regional and global AI hub, we must be able to create new uses for AI. This can only be done if we have ready and accessible data,” he said, pointing out that Padu is a step towards this.
We had the launch of the Central Database Hub, or Padu, on Jan 2 and just this week, on Tuesday, the AI for the Rakyat portal, was unveiled.
AI untuk Rakyat
AI For Rakyat
, https://ai.gov.my/#/homeThe introduction at its website, ai.gov.my, is interesting: “AI untuk Rakyat” is a self-learning online programme designed to raise public awareness about artificial intelligence (AI).
“It aims to demystify AI for people from all walks of life – a student, a stay-at-home parent, a professional in any field, a senior citizen – basically, anyone interested in getting acquainted with it and wanting to build a ‘Digital First Mindset’.”
If all goes well, the portal could indeed help to address the country’s growing digital divide as those with access to the digital world pull away from those who don’t have the means to benefit from it.
Padu is entirely designed and maintained by the government to ease fears of our data being misused in the hands of a third party.
Similarly, AI for the rakyat is largely government-driven, with the Economy Ministry working with just one private company, Intel.
And we are glad to note that apart from Bahasa Malaysia, the portal is also inclusively available in English, Chinese and Tamil (the last is rare indeed).
The government is hoping to have one million Malaysians become familiar with AI skills in three years.
That’s all well and good, but we must ensure that this portal does not go the way of previous tech initiatives, like the Multimedia Super Corridor, which did not reach its full potential.
All these digital initiatives need real support in the form of nurturing ecosystems and infrastructure, serious investment, and an open acceptance of all sorts of different talents.
Most importantly, “knowing” AI does not lessen the urgent need for solid cybersecurity laws and a moral code of ethics to govern the use and development of all digital initiatives, including AI.
As Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli stressed at the portal’s launch, there must be optimal end-to-end conditions and wholesome policies to accompany the growth of AI.
Rafizi argued that without trustworthy data and secure channels, the products and services driven by AI technology could not be implemented properly.
“To be the regional and global AI hub, we must be able to create new uses for AI. This can only be done if we have ready and accessible data,” he said, pointing out that Padu is a step towards this.
https://ai.gov.my/#/home
About AI untuk Rakyat
AI untuk Rakyat is a self-learning online program designed to raise public awareness about Artificial Intelligence (AI). It aims to demystify AI for people from all walks of life – a student, a stay-at-home parent, a professional in any field, a senior citizen - basically, anyone interested in getting acquainted with it and wanting to build a ‘Digital First Mindset'
The program is divided into two sections: AI Aware and AI Appreciate.
Both sections can be completed in about four hours. Each section is based on AI-related concepts explained through engaging activities and quizzes. The users can take the quizzes as many times as they want. After they complete these quizzes, they become bearers of AI Aware and AI Appreciate badges that they can share on their social media accounts.
