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SHAH ALAM – Tourism Malaysia is facing widespread criticism from netizens and industry leaders over its heavy use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the Citrawarna 2026 cultural showcase at Dataran Merdeka, a key event for the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.
The event which was intended to highlight Malaysia's rich cultural heritage, drew backlash over perceived cultural inaccuracies, digital rendering errors and the marginalisation of local creative talent.
Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia (Karyawan) president Datuk Freddie Fernandez raised concerns that the growing reliance on AI at the expense of local artists poses a significant risk to the creative industry.
"AI is a novelty these days. Some believe that using AI shows they are keeping up with the times, so they rush to jump on the bandwagon. However, in this case, it backfired completely," he told Sinar Daily.
He said the trend goes beyond Tourism Malaysia, pointing to the political scene, where supporters in the ongoing Negeri Sembilan election campaign are already producing AI-generated songs and fan-made videos for their preferred parties.
Fernandez urged government intervention to safeguard the livelihoods of local artists, who risk being displaced by cost-cutting digital alternatives.
"Somebody has to do something and it is best if that somebody is the government. They have to act fast because we definitely do not have the funds to undertake something like this," he said.
The controversy began in late June following the release of a promotional video across Tourism Malaysia's social media platforms.
The promotional video featured the official VM2026 mascots named Wira and Manja against AI-generated backgrounds. These digital visuals depicted Dataran Merdeka alongside traditional dance troupes and local cuisine.
However, the video drew intense scrutiny after viewers spotted inaccurate food representations. The public also discovered a notable rendering error on the Jalur Gemilang national flag.
Dissatisfaction deepened during the live showcase, where attendees and viewers noted that an estimated 90 per cent of the performance soundtrack and background music consisted of AI-generated audio compositions rather than live musical performances.
Industry representatives and members of the public have since called on Tourism Malaysia to reassess its promotional strategy and re-engage authentic local artists to represent the nation on the global stage.