KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is preparing a Bill to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in a bid to address ethical and transparency concerns about the technology.

Mosti Minister Chang Lih Kang told The Star that the law would, among others, compel AI-generated materials to be publicly labelled.

"It is a strategic move considering the global trend towards stronger regulations around AI usage,” the minister was quoted as saying.

"We should actively explore and advocate for policy measures that require content produced entirely or in part by AI, to be clearly identified. Additionally, adopting global standards for AI transparency and pushing for relevant certification can bolster these transparency efforts.”

The explosion of "generative AI” applications in recent years has fuelled intense ethical debate about the technology, even as companies and consumers have hailed it as an era-defining tool with immense potential.

Among some of the top concerns about generative AI is its ability to create realistic but fake content, including deepfakes, fake news, and misinformation.

Experts who study technology ethics have also warned about potential biases given how generative AI operates. Generative AI models learn from the data they are trained on, and if the training data contains biases, the generated content may also exhibit those biases.

In March, the World Economic Forum reported that the European Union was working on a legal framework for regulating the use of AI, mainly focusing on galvanising rules on data transparency, quality, accountability, and human oversight.

Chang said the planned AI Bill would cover aspects such as data privacy and public awareness of AI use. He stressed on the need to balance innovation and manage risks.

"It would be important for this AI Act to, among others, encompass areas such as transparency, data privacy, accountability, and cybersecurity,” the minister was quoted as saying.

"The legislation could also include provisions for educating the public about AI and promoting research and development in the field.”