Spotlight on dangers of over-reliance on AI
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data (Aibig) director Dr Muhammad Akmal Remli said such errors point to flaws in how global AI models are trained and deployed, especially when it comes to culturally specific content.
'Inaccuracies like a wrongly rendered Jalur Gemilang happen because the AI model may not have had sufficient exposure to correct representations of Malaysian symbols during training,' he said, adding that while some AI tools perform impressively when generating generic content, they often falter with highly specific cultural or national elements such as flags.
'AI can generate a wide range of content such as text, voice, images and videos based on prompts. But what many do not realise is when AI is asked to create an image of a classroom with a Malaysian flag, the outcome depends on how the AI interprets those prompts through numerical tokens and what it has learnt from its training data.'
Muhammad Akmal said this reflects a broader issue – many generative AI models are built and trained within global frameworks that often under-represent countries like Malaysia.
'Global AI models frequently lack sufficient regional and cultural training data. There is an opportunity here for Malaysia to develop its own AI systems.'
He said with government backing, local startups and tech companies could step up and train models using Malaysian data involving cultural symbols, traditions and languages.
Muhammad Akmal also said using AI in government and media settings, especially for public content, requires greater caution.
'Incidents like these are a wake-up call. We must use AI responsibly, not just chase trends.'
He emphasised the need for safeguards at several levels, including determining if AI-generated content is even necessary, and conducting rigorous reviews before publication.
'Human oversight is not optional. It is essential.'
While some have called for new laws to regulate AI, Muhammad Akmal said Malaysia already has a framework in place.
The National Guidelines on AI Governance and Ethics issued by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry last year aim to encourage responsible AI use across all sectors.
'Instead of piling on new rules, the focus should be on tightening implementation through proper training and awareness, among government and media professionals,' he said, adding that AI should complement and not replace human decision-making.
'AI is a tool. It can help spark ideas or automate tasks, but humans must still lead. Particularly with editorial or official content, relying solely on AI without verifying the output could result in serious slip-ups.
'Experts can spot errors AI might overlook. This collaboration delivers efficiency without compromising accuracy, which is critical when dealing with culturally or nationally sensitive content.'
He also urged developers to improve the quality and diversity of training data.
'Biases or inaccuracies in datasets will inevitably surface in AI output. Developers must aim for high-quality, representative data, especially in culturally sensitive areas.'
Despite the recent flag-related blunders, Muhammad Akmal believes public confidence in AI remains intact.
'I don't think trust in AI has been lost. Most people will likely see this as a human oversight. But it's a timely reminder that working with AI requires extra care, especially when national identity is involved.'
To promote responsible AI use, he called for proactive public engagement.
'Institutions should hold dialogues, training sessions and awareness campaigns for the public on responsible AI practices.
'At Aibig, we run regular training programmes to equip participants with best practices in AI safety and ethics.'
Muhammad Akmal said as Malaysia advances into the digital era, AI can be a powerful ally, but only when guided by human judgement, local insight and ethical responsibility.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
AI search pushing an already weakened media industry to the brink
GENERATIVE artificial intelligence assistants like ChatGPT are cutting into traditional online search traffic, depriving news sites of visitors and impacting the advertising revenue they desperately need, in a crushing blow to an industry fighting for survival. "The next three or four years will be incredibly challenging for publishers everywhere. No one is immune from the AI summaries storm gathering on the horizon," said Matt Karolian, vice-president of research and development at Boston Globe Media. "Publishers need to build their own shelters or risk being swept away." While data remains limited, a recent Pew Research Centre study shows that AI-generated summaries now appearing regularly in Google searches discourage users from clicking through to source articles. When AI summaries are present, users click on suggested links half as often compared with traditional searches. This represents a devastating loss of visitors for online media sites that depend on traffic for advertising revenue and subscription conversions. According to Northeastern University Professor John Wihbey, these trends "will accelerate, and pretty soon, we will have an entirely different web". The dominance of tech giants like Google and Meta had slashed online media advertising revenue, forcing publishers to pivot toward paid subscriptions. But Wihbey said that subscriptions also depend on traffic, and paying subscribers alone aren't sufficient to support major media organisations. The Boston Globe group has begun seeing subscribers sign up through ChatGPT, offering a new touchpoint with potential readers, Karolian said. However, "these remain incredibly modest compared with other platforms, including even smaller search engines". To survive what many see as an inevitable shift, media companies are increasingly adopting GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) — a technique that replaces traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). This involves providing AI models with clearly labelled content, good structure, comprehensible text and strong presence on social networks and forums like Reddit that get crawled by AI companies. But a fundamental question remains: "Should you allow OpenAI crawlers to crawl your website and your content?" asks Thomas Peham, CEO of optimisation startup OtterlyAI. Burned by aggressive data collection from major AI companies, many news publishers have chosen to fight back by blocking AI crawlers from accessing their content. Some progress has been made on this front. Licensing agreements have emerged between major players, such as the New York Times and Amazon, Google and Associated Press, and Mistral and Agence France-Presse. But the issue is far from resolved, as major legal battles are underway, most notably the New York Times' suit against OpenAI and Microsoft. Publishers face a dilemma: blocking AI crawlers protects their content but reduces exposure to potential new readers. Faced with this challenge, "media leaders are increasingly choosing to reopen access", Peham observed. Yet even with open access, success isn't guaranteed. According to OtterlyAI data, media outlets represent just 29 per cent of citations offered by ChatGPT, trailing corporate websites at 36 per cent. And while Google search has traditionally privileged sources recognised as reliable, "we don't see this with ChatGPT", Peham said. The stakes extend beyond business models. According to the Reuters Institute's 2025 Digital News Report, about 15 per cent of people under 25 use generative AI to get their news. Given questions about AI sourcing and reliability, this trend risks confusing readers about information origins and credibility, much like social media did before it. "At some point, someone has to do the reporting," Karolian said. "Without original journalism, none of these AI platforms would have anything to summarise."
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Gentari, Amazon Web Services sign power purchase deal for India wind energy project
PETALING JAYA: Clean energy solutions provider Gentari Sdn Bhd and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for an 80MW wind power project in Tamil Nadu, India. Following a collaboration agreement signed in 2023 with AWS, the PPA marks a concrete step towards the shared ambition of delivering new, cost-effective, utility-scale renewable energy projects. Targeted to commence operations in mid-2027, the project is expected to generate approximately 300,000 MWh of renewable energy annually. Through the supply of renewable energy, Gentari is advancing its vision of putting clean energy into action, while supporting AWS's goal of reaching net-zero carbon by 2040. 'This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advancing practical, scalable, and clean energy solutions – vital for Asia and the world's move towards a low-carbon future. Through projects like the Karur wind development, we are not just adding renewable capacity – we are addressing real energy needs where it matters most. Together with AWS, we are focused on delivering impact through action and enabling the broader energy ecosystem to transition. Gentari is excited to support AWS in their net zero journey, and we welcome more partners to join us in building a more robust clean energy ecosystem,' said Gentari CEO, Sushil Purohit. AWS Asean managing director Jeff Johnson said: 'As the world's largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally, AWS continues to work towards our goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Our collaboration with Gentari, a Malaysian clean energy leader expanding its regional impact, brings us a step closer towards that. We're proud to work with forward-thinking organisations like Gentari who share our commitment to both technological advancement and environmental stewardship.'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Financial service providers increasingly adopting AI: Bank Negara survey
KUALA LUMPUR: Financial service providers in Malaysia are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI), according to the central bank's AI Survey 2024. The survey found that in 2024, 71% of banking institutions and development financial institutions, and 77% of insurance and takaful operators had implemented at least one AI application. 'Notably, in 2024, 71% of banking institutions and DFIs had implemented at least one AI application, an increase from 56% in the previous year. Similarly, 77% of ITOs had adopted at least one AI application, compared to 58% in the previous year,' according to Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) discussion paper on 'Artificial Intelligence in the Malaysian Financial Sector' today. BNM said over 60% of banking institutions and insurers view AI as a strategic priority over the next one to three years. 'This trend looks set to continue in the coming years, as over half of the respondens agreed that AI has the potential to generate significant new value for both their organisations and consumers.' The central bank stressed it remains vigilant to developments in AI and closely monitors its usage across financial service providers. 'As AI technologies and the state of adoption in financial service providers continue to grow and evolve, we recognise that AI use may introduce new risks that are not adequately addressed by the existing regulatory framework.' BNM said an escalation in supervisory focus may be considered if AI-related risks become more material, in line with the principles of parity, proportionality, and neutrality. 'For example, due to widespread use of AI applications in critical functions or to replace human decision making. Where relevant, we may explore the need to introduce new regulatory expectations should the need arise in the future,' it said. The central bank said it closely monitors five technological developments and innovation in the financial sector to shape its future regulatory and supervisory approach on AI. The discussion paper seeks to share and obtain feedback on BNM's posture on responsible AI innovation in the financial sector; the proposed regulatory approach for AI, as well as industry guidelines on responsible use; and general development approach including priority areas for greater innovation and industry-led collaboration. BNM said it aims to facilitate and encourage responsible adoption and use of AI across the financial sector in a manner that will advance better consumer outcomes and its broader policy objectives. 'This means that while new innovations, such as AI, are given the opportunity to flourish, associated risks that may negatively impact system-wide stability, consumer outcomes, and confidence in the financial sector will need to be managed effectively.' BNM interviewed select local financial industry players throughout 2024 and issued an updated industry-wide survey to gain insights into recent advancements on AI within the Malaysian financial sector. The AI Survey 2024 received responses from 1,207 financial service providers.
