TOKYO - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned on June 10 that artificial intelligence could widen inequality and concentrate power, using his address at the 31st Future of Asia forum in Tokyo to call for a more inclusive response to technological change.
Anwar spoke at 9:40 a.m. on the opening day of the Nikkei forum, which is being held in Tokyo and online on June 10 and June 11. Japan’s foreign ministry said he was in Japan from June 8 to June 10 for an official working visit and would attend the forum during the trip.
The clearest labour warning came in his remarks on AI. Anwar said the technology could accelerate productivity and open new development paths, but he added that it could also widen inequalities and leave societies struggling to keep pace.
For workers, that warning lands in a difficult labour market. The International Labour Organization’s Employment and Social Trends 2026 report projected global unemployment at 4.9 percent in 2026, or about 186 million people. It also said around 2.1 billion workers remain in informal employment, often without basic rights or social protection.
The ILO’s latest global index on generative AI and jobs, published in 2025, said one in four workers worldwide are in occupations with some exposure to generative AI. The report found that full replacement is not the most likely outcome for most jobs, but it said exposure is higher in clerical, professional and technical occupations.
Anwar described AI as "the promise, and the peril, of this new era," adding that Asian countries should not lose sight of their values and identity while adapting to new technology. "I think whilst we crave, accept the challenge of artificial intelligence, we must not lose sight of our own values and traditions in our identity," Anwar said.
The infrastructure behind that shift is already visible near Malaysia’s southern border. Baxtel’s current market listings count 76 data centres in Johor and 109 in Singapore. Across Southeast Asia, the platform lists 654 data centres operated by 190 providers, showing how concentrated the region’s AI and cloud infrastructures have become around the corridor.
