Malaysia has launched a national artificial intelligence (AI) office aimed at shaping policies and addressing regulatory issues.

The country has secured billions of dollars in investment in the past year from global tech firms seeking to build critical infrastructure to cater to growing demand for their cloud and AI services, Reuters reported.

“This is another historical moment in our digital transformation journey,” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said at the launch of the new office on Thursday.

The office is expected to serve as a centralized agency for AI, providing strategic planning, research and development, as well as regulatory oversight, among others, details published on its website showed.

It will pursue seven deliverables in its first year, including developing a code of ethics, an AI regulatory framework, and a five-year AI technology action plan until 2030, the report added.

The government on Thursday also announced strategic partnerships with six companies, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft, which have all announced data center, cloud and AI projects in Malaysia in the past year.

Digital ventures have helped propel Malaysia’s economy in 2024, with $16.06 billion in approved investments in the information and communications sub-sector, its investment authority said this week, the report added.

Meanwhile, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the event also marked the first anniversary of the ministry’s establishment, national news agency Bernama reported.

“The future is now. We must take steps to prepare our country and its people for the challenges of the digital world ahead. When we speak about digitalisation, we focus on three key pillars: infrastructure, security, and talent, he was quoted as saying in his speech.

He said that to foster innovation, attract investments and build global confidence in Malaysia’s forward-thinking capabilities, the country must ensure robust connectivity.

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