KOTA KINABALU: The 17th Sabah State Election will be a test of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) influences democracy, said Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior lecturer Azizan Morshidi.
He said AI could improve transparency and participation by helping the Election Commission provide multilingual reminders, monitor voter turnout and manage data.
"However, risks remain. The World Economic Forum has ranked misinformation as a top global threat.
"Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has warned about the misuse of social media and technology to spread political defamation, while Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya cautioned that AI-generated defamatory videos could tarnish Sabah’s reputation," he said.
Azizan pointed to Sabah’s Gamuda AI Academy as a step forward in tackling deepfakes and training youth in digital literacy.
But he stressed that without reliable electricity, roads, water and 5G internet, Sabah risks entrenching a damaging new form of inequality that is algorithmic exclusion.
“PRN17 is an important testing ground. AI can strengthen our democracy, but only if we ensure it is used ethically and inclusively,” Azizan said in a statement.