Human-centred AI in the Digital Silk Road era

THE diplomatic and economic relationship between Malaysia and China has evolved into a broad strategic partnership that is increasingly shaped by collaboration in advanced technologies and a shared commitment to human-centred development.

This transformation is largely driven by the Digital Silk Road (DSR), the digital dimension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which highlights artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and next-generation telecommunications as important mechanisms for narrowing the global digital divide.

The DSR has gradually expanded from an emphasis on "hard" infrastructure, such as submarine cables and telecommunications networks, towards "soft" connectivity that includes AI governance, capacity building and digital service platforms.

In the Malaysian context, this shift closely aligns with the national Madani framework, which places strong emphasis on compassion, innovation and trust, alongside the country’s broader aspiration under the "AI Nation 2030" agenda.

The importance of this partnership lies in its ability to balance rapid technological progress with humanistic values.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani framework provides a governance philosophy that links economic growth with holistic well-being, social respect and inclusivity.

This vision resonates with China’s Global Civilisation Initiative, which advocates mutual respect among civilisations and the promotion of shared human values.

Such alignment is grounded in a long history of civilisational dialogue, particularly between Islamic and Confucian traditions, both of which emphasise ethical leadership and the responsibility of governance to serve the common good.

Viewed through this civilisational lens, AI is not treated merely as a technical innovation but as an instrument to support balanced and responsible human development.

A central pillar of Malaysia’s human-centred digital transformation is the pursuit of what may be described as "sovereign intelligence".

Backed by a RM2bil allocation under Budget 2026, Malaysia is moving towards establishing a Sovereign AI Cloud to ensure that national data and computing capabilities remain within domestic jurisdiction.

This initiative enables AI systems to be trained, deployed and governed under local laws and regulatory oversight, thereby reducing structural dependence on foreign technological platforms.

In this sense, digital sovereignty is framed as an important dimension of national resilience, protecting critical digital assets from external geopolitical uncertainties.

At the same time, this initiative seeks to reduce the digital divide by improving access to affordable and localised high-performance computing resources, thereby enabling local enterprises to participate more effectively in an AI-driven economy.

The practical implications of localised intelligence can be clearly seen in the "Intelek Luhur Malaysia Untukmu" (Ilmu) project. Developed by YTL AI Labs in collaboration with Universiti Malaya, Ilmu represents Malaysia’s first multimodal homegrown large language model.

In contrast to many foreign AI platforms, it is trained using Malaysian languages and culturally grounded datasets, enabling stronger contextual understanding of local dialects, including Kelantanese, as well as the widely used "Manglish" vernacular.

Its performance based on the MalayMMLU (Massive Multitask Language Understanding) benchmark has surpassed several globally recognised frontier models, demonstrating that high-level technological capability can coexist with strong cultural and linguistic relevance.

More importantly, the project reflects a humanistic approach to technology by developing tools that are responsive to the lived realities, language and heritage of the communities they are intended to serve.

The integration of DSR-related infrastructure with industrial development is also evident in the transformation of Kuantan Port into a smart port.

Through the adoption of AI and automation technologies, the port is strengthening its role as a major deepwater gateway and regional transshipment hub.

AI-enabled systems are now used to forecast vessel arrival times and optimise container handling operations with greater precision than conventional scheduling methods.

Importantly, this transformation is not solely technology-driven but also human-centred, as it includes workforce retraining initiatives aimed at preparing local employees for emerging roles such as data analysts and AI systems trainers.

In a similar vein, digital platforms such as Touch 'n Go eWallet and BEST Inc have leveraged DSR-linked technologies to widen access to digital financial services and intelligent logistics solutions, particularly for small and medium-sized local enterprises.

As the adoption of these technologies continues to expand, Malaysia has also taken proactive measures to strengthen ethical governance.

The proposed AI Governance Bill, overseen by the National Artificial Intelligence Office, adopts a risk-based regulatory framework to address concerns related to algorithmic bias, transparency and data privacy.

This legislative direction parallels international initiatives such as China’s Global AI Governance Action Plan, which similarly emphasises a people-centred approach and supports capacity-building efforts across the Global South.

Both countries place strong importance on fairness, transparency and the prevention of discriminatory outcomes in AI systems.

By aligning itself with international governance standards while safeguarding local data sovereignty, Malaysia is positioning itself as a regional leader that seeks to balance technological innovation with ethical responsibility.

Ultimately, the Malaysia-China partnership under the DSR framework illustrates how technological advancement and humanistic principles can reinforce one another.

While the DSR provides the essential infrastructural foundation, the Madani framework ensures that digital transformation remains anchored in compassion, trust and societal well-being.

Through initiatives such as the Sovereign AI Cloud and Ilmu, Malaysia demonstrates that technological excellence can be pursued without compromising cultural identity and national values.

More broadly, this partnership offers an important model for a pluralistic digital order in which technology functions as a force for collective good, enhancing quality of life, strengthening national agency and contributing to a shared future for humanity.

Dr Koon Vui Yee is a Principal Teaching Fellow at Sunway University and a Chartered Manager (CMgr MCMI, UK). The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own.

The SEARCH Scholar Series is a social responsibility programme jointly organised by the South-East Asia Research Centre for Humanities (SEARCH) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT).