KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the proposed AI Governance Bill will address copyright and intellectual property issues arising from the use of copyrighted data to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
The Bill will also establish a comprehensive governance framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems.
Responding to a question in Parliament from Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang) Anwar described the proposal as crucial, noting that it addresses an area not yet fully covered, namely a governance framework spanning development, training, modelling, deployment, monitoring and risk management.
“The Bill is still at an early stage of drafting at the ministerial level and will, of course, be followed by engagements, including with the Parliamentary Special Select Committee,” said Anwar.
“We will examine and deliberate on any aspects that may have been overlooked, particularly as this represents a new approach and endeavour for our country and indeed for most countries.
“It will also elaborate on issues of accountability and ethics in the use of AI systems. As this is a new approach and initiative, it will also ensure that existing laws remain applicable and enforceable.”
On copyright concerns, Anwar highlighted two aspects, first, the issue of inputs into AI systems, including copyrighted text, images, audio and video, and second, the outputs produced by such systems, namely the results generated from those inputs within the AI framework through various initiatives, approaches and discoveries.
“These matters are already provided for under existing legislation, the Copyright Act 1987, which must be enforced effectively, and MyIPO has been directed to be more proactive and to enhance its monitoring efforts,” said Anwar.
In a supplementary question, Rodziah said Malaysia should not remain merely a market for the consumption of AI technology, but must ensure that the digital value chain operates fairly and equitably, especially for local creators.
The MP also called for economic justice for creators, legal certainty for investors and a tiered, risk-based approach to encourage creativity and innovation while avoiding disproportionate burdens on micro, small and medium enterprises.
Anwar confirmed that the proposed approach includes an AI Risk and Classification Framework, with provisions on risk classification and incident reporting to address potential harm arising from the use of digital technologies and AI.
“In our country’s legislative drafting process, when we address risk, AI harms and incident reporting, issues relating to citizens’ rights, as well as the dangers and risks arising from the neglect of ethical considerations, will certainly be incorporated,” he said.
“I believe the drafters will give this particular attention, adopting an approach that may differ from that currently practised in the West, where the focus tends to be on detailed legal aspects, while moral and ethical considerations are not accorded equal priority.”
A further supplementary question by Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) raised concerns about the high energy and water consumption associated with AI-driven data centres.
“This matter is under consideration, given the significant increase in energy and water consumption. For that reason, nearly two years ago, we restricted the approval of new data centres that are not related to AI. If there are benefits in terms of advancing high technology and AI, approvals are more readily granted,” he said.
“Thus, new applications unrelated to AI, data centres seeking to benefit from lower water and energy rates, have been halted. That is the first point.
“Secondly, will this become a burden? Based on projections by the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry for the next one to two years, there remains sufficient capacity to accommodate new applications.”
While energy standards may not necessarily be included within the provisions of the AI Governance Bill, he said such concerns could be addressed under existing legislation or through amendments governing the energy sector, including under the purview of Tenaga Nasional Berhad.
Anwar said the concerns warranted serious consideration as Malaysia moves forward with drafting the AI Governance Bill.
