KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial intelligence (AI) should work in collaboration with humans and serve real needs instead of being made a cost-cutting tool, says Tom Gruber, the co-creator of Apple's virtual assistant Siri.
He said AI should be used to serve human needs across various sectors in Malaysia, including boosting education, learning and personal development.
"There is a common train of thought today where people say, 'put AI into your business', and the first thing that comes to mind is cost reduction," he said in his speech at the Malaysia Economy Forum 2026 here on Thursday (Feb 5).
"Now, reducing cost is essentially saying that the purpose of AI is to replace humans.
"Automating human labour is a thing, I can see the value in that, but in my view, it should not be the ultimate goal.
"It can be a means to an end, but If people take it as their main goal, it often won't work out so well."
This is because it puts the machine as the centre of value creation when in fact the people should be, he argued.
"There are some tasks that can be better handled by machines, like operating dangerous equipment or driving cars, as some of us are not good at it," he said, drawing laughter from the floor.
"Imagine what we can do if we coordinate our overall plan here by getting together.
"What can we do as a nation or as a large corporation, if we bring a bunch of resources, energy and talent," he said.
"Education is a thing that AI has been trying to solve for decades. We could never nail the problem until now. We can, now.
"To make an intelligent tutor for every child in the world, you need a tutor who is smart enough to understand the content that is being taught, and understand all the pedagogy and language of each student.
"Now for the first time in history, they can (through AI)," he said.
Another area of opportunity is therapy and personal development, he noted.
"According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a billion people across the world are estimated to have a significant mental health disorder that requires treatment that is completely underserved by the existing human psychologists.
"Yet the technology of conversational interface via AI actually is a well suited modality for conversational therapy.
"It can even be personalised and tirelessly available," he said, adding that such technology can help people all over the world.
He suggested that governments continue to build confidence in the use and application of AI.
"Right now, a lot of people don't trust AI. Governments can do things to build trust," he added.
