PUTRAJAYA: While universities are encouraged to establish their own artificial intelligence (AI)-focused disciplines, a collective effort by experts is crucial to establish a unified foundation for AI development, says Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
The Higher Education Minister said to develop something new, the country should “pool together all our experts, create a unified foundation, and then allow others to identify the specific AI-related fields they wish to develop.
“We don’t want everyone to create their own AI initiatives, just putting an AI label on them without understanding the actual content or the real needs.
“That’s why we leverage collective expertise, bringing them together to discuss and determine what each university wants to do and how they can benefit from this collective effort,” he told a press conference here on Monday (Dec 16).
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Earlier, the minister had attended the Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (PFOI) appreciation ceremony and presentation of the ministry’s achievement report for this year.
He said AI must be understood not just from an industrial perspective but from an educational standpoint, noting that “traditional” computer science fields must be reviewed.
“We encourage universities to establish their own AI-focused disciplines.
“At the same time, we also adopt an approach called the ‘nexus’ or university consortium within universities, where the lead institution is Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM),” he said, adding that other universities are welcome to participate and contribute.
He also said the aerospace industry will be prioritised by the ministry through plans and strategies set by the government in line with the influx of investments.
“Aerospace is one of the key industries we need to focus on, alongside others like the electrical and electronics (E&E) semiconductor sector, which is not a new field.
“The demand is increasing significantly.
“The aerospace industry requires a large workforce. Foreign direct investment is flowing in… (leading to) a growing demand for new workers in related fields,” he said.
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On another matter, he said the Cabinet Committee formed to elevate PFOI to a national event will involve multiple ministries.
On Nov 29, it was reported that the PFOI will be overseen by a Cabinet Committee to expand its scale moving forward.
“We (the Higher Education Ministry) will continue to be the head secretariat to drive this initiative, but it will be elevated to the level of a Cabinet Committee chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister,” he added.
