PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has called for global efforts to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) serves humanity rather than replace it, warning that unchecked technological progress risks deepening inequality and undermining human dignity.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan (pic) said the world is at a “defining moment” as AI reshapes the future of work.
“AI is not merely a technological revolution, but a social, economical and moral turning point.
“The question is no longer whether AI will transform our societies, because it already has,” Ramanan said at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Geneva recently.
The conference is taking place from June 1 to 12 this year.
“The real challenge is whether we can shape this transformation in a way that remains fair, inclusive and centred on human dignity, while ensuring that no one is left behind,” he added.
He described the ILO director-general’s 2026 report, A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work, as essential in guiding the global response, and said Malaysia is committed to advancing innovation, decent work and social justice as a unified goal.
Ramanan cited Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s warning that technology without values would only widen inequality and deepen division, saying progress must be guided by compassion, justice and humanity under the Madani framework.
“Malaysia firmly believes that the future cannot belong solely to algorithms, machines or markets. The future must continue to belong to people,” he said.
With more than 17 million people in the labour force, he said the government’s priority is to make sure every worker is equipped and protected as the economy becomes increasingly driven by AI.
Ramanan pointed to several measures already in place, including AI and digital technology training at the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training, and a digital risk assessment system that has been used by nearly 270,000 people nationwide.
