GEORGE TOWN: The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Bill being drafted by the Digital Ministry is expected to be tabled in Parliament this quarter or by the first quarter of next year at the latest, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
He said the draft Bill had been completed after the ministry conducted workshops and engagement sessions to obtain views from stakeholders, and was now in the process of being submitted to the Cabinet.
"The draft has already been completed. We have held workshops and so on, obtained views from everyone involved, and we are now in the process of submitting the paper to the Cabinet.
"So, hopefully, it will be tabled in Parliament this quarter or, if not, in the first quarter of next year," he told reporters after officiating the opening of Scars of War - An International Photography and Art Exhibition at the Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery here on Thursday (Sept 10).
Previously, the ministry, through the National AI Office (NAIO), began engagement sessions throughout July to refine the proposed AI Governance Bill.
Elaborating, Gobind said AI governance was not solely focused on legislation, but involved three main aspects, namely standards, regulations and laws, with matters that could be addressed through standards already being implemented through the establishment of MY-AI Standards under the ministry, which is now collaborating with SIRIM Berhad.
He said there were AI-related matters that required regulation but did not necessarily warrant legislation, and could therefore be addressed through regulations that could be implemented more quickly.
"For some of these matters, we look first at standards, then regulations and subsequently laws. The ability to formulate regulations is also important, given that AI technology is developing rapidly and new issues may arise at any time," he said.
He said the establishment of AI Malaysia was part of efforts to provide a structure to ensure compliance with the law and enable action to be taken in the event of violations.
"Efforts to establish the enforcement structure are now being pursued concurrently with the process of bringing the Bill to the Cabinet. This integrated approach is important to ensure that governance and enforcement mechanisms are in place when the Bill is passed," he said. – Bernama
