Kuala Lumpur: The media industry in Malaysia should view Artificial Intelligence (AI) not as a threat but as a tool to complement its role as the public's main source of information, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. She emphasized the importance for each sector, particularly the media, to keep pace with technological advancements to avoid obsolescence in today's fast-evolving landscape.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Teo highlighted the innovative steps taken by RTM, which introduced a news segment featuring AI newsreaders in the Chinese language. This initiative was launched to address challenges in recruiting suitable manpower. She believes that AI can mitigate the difficulty of finding talent in specific fields and enhance the efficiency of information retrieval for media practitioners.

Teo made these comments after officiating at the 21st Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2025. She also noted that the government, through the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI), is actively promoting the 'AI for the People' initiative. This online self-learning program, launched in May 2024, aims to raise public awareness of AI, and has seen 4,417 individuals complete it as of December 31 last year. The total number of Malaysians who have completed the module has reached 1.3 million as of yesterday.

Despite the benefits, Teo cautioned the public about online safety concerns related to AI-driven fraud. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is working to ensure a safer digital ecosystem for users. In 2023, MCMC removed 6,297 scam-related posts from social media, a number that surged to 63,652 in 2024. As of February 1, 2025, another 5,854 cases have been addressed, totaling 76,045 cases of scam-related issues, including fake accounts and impersonations, from 2022 to February 1.