Malaysia Launches Al Malaysia on Path to Al-Powered Growth

The ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Malaysia, in partnership with Al Malaysia (AIM), has officially launched AIM—a platform designed to bridge businesses with Artificial Intelligence (Al) breakthroughs in Malaysia and beyond. The launch ceremony took place at the AICB Centre of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur.

Organised under the theme “Al Conversations 2025,” the event convened leaders from government, industry, and academia to explore how AI can be harnessed to position Malaysia as a leading digital economy in the region. A key figure in attendance was Professor Richard Sutton, 2024 Turing Award Winner (often referred to as the Nobel Prize of Computing) and Founder of Openmind Research Institute, who is widely recognised for his pioneering work in reinforcement learning and foundational contributions to modern Al.

The launch was officiated by Yang Berhormat Tuan Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysia’s Minister of Digital, who delivered the keynote address. He touched on the need for a collaborative and purposeful approach to Al, one rooted in national progress and aligned with ASEAN’s shared future.

“Malaysia’s digital ambition is grounded in inclusive growth, ethical innovation and regional leadership. Through AIM, we are laying the foundation for stronger public-private-academic collaboration, empowering our industries and institutions to unlock real economic value from Al and build future-ready capabilities,” said Sutton.

Advancing Malaysia’s AI Readiness

The launch reflects Malaysia’s deepening commitment to align policy, industry, and research in advancing national Al readiness. With a maturing digital ecosystem and national frameworks already in progress, AIM arrives at a pivotal moment when the country is well-positioned to move from strategy to scaled implementation. By fostering coordinated engagement with ASEAN business leaders, the platform reinforces Malaysia as a catalyst for Al innovation and inclusive growth.

Tan Sri Nazir Razak, ASEAN-BAC Malaysia Chairman, who opened the event, reinforced the importance of regional cooperation through AIM.

“Artificial intelligence will be a defining force in the next phase of ASEAN’s economic development. With the launch of AIM, Malaysia is taking a decisive step to seek regional partnerships in shaping responsible Al adoption, enhancing digital competitiveness and fostering innovation-led growth across borders,” he said.

AIM will champion initiatives across industry use cases, investment funds, and curated upskilling programmes, while also serving as a leading voice at global Al forums. It will foster a collaborative development path to unlock the value of Al across corporates, Al business associations, academia, government-linked companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the Malaysian Government.

AIM is a multi-stakeholder platform backed by the Ministry of Digital, the National Al Office (NAIO), MyDigital, as well as corporate leaders, academia, research institutes, and ASEAN-BAC networks. Its strategic goals are to accelerate Al-driven innovation across key economic sectors, enable public-private collaboration to drive productivity and competitiveness, and foster an Al ecosystem that creates value, ultimately contributing to Malaysia’s GDP growth and regional economic leadership.

Goh Peng Ooi, President of AIM, added: “The launch of AIM signals a new era for Malaysia’s digital journey. We are proud to build a platform that unites policymakers, innovators and researchers—not only to share breakthroughs but to act collectively for inclusive, ethical and impactful AI development. AIM seeks to support the foundations of an integrated ecosystem, underpinned by strong policy, talent development, and ethical governance frameworks, in support of Malaysia’s ambition to become a vibrant tech hub and digital gateway to ASEAN.”

Aiming High with AIM

AIM complements the government’s forward-looking agenda through initiatives such as the establishment of the National Al Office, Al R&D Centres, targeted investments in R&D funding, and the creation of Special Economic Zones for Al. It also provides an important, technology-focused step towards achieving the goals of Malaysia Madani through inclusive, sustainable development for all.

The launch of AIM was made possible through the collective support of the Ministry of Digital, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR), and ASEAN-BAC Malaysia.

Silverlake supported the event as Main Sponsor, reflecting its ongoing role in advancing enterprise technology and digital transformation across ASEAN and Asia Pacific. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) served as the event’s Knowledge Partner and is also a Founding Committee Member of AIM, contributing strategic insight and thought leadership to the development of the platform and its agenda.

Participating Sponsors—AmBank, Axiata, and CIMB—lent their support to the event, alongside Strategic Partners: Openmind Research Institute and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). Valuable support was also provided by Supporting Partners: Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET), and the Malaysia-Japan Economic Association (MAJECA).