Malaysia to Leverage Artificial Intelligence in Transforming Healthcare Industry
PETALING JAYA: The government is set to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the country's healthcare industry, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasizing its potential during a recent session at the World Economic Forum Annual Summit 2025.
Anwar highlighted that AI would enhance efficiency, reduce wastages, and enable the government to leverage cutting-edge technology to improve public health. The University of Malaysia Kelantan Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data (Aibig) director, Dr Muhammad Akmal Remli, stated that AI in healthcare involves advanced computing techniques, robust data infrastructure, and machine learning algorithms to transform patient care.
According to Dr. Akmal, AI enables predictive analytics, personalized medicine, and efficient diagnostics, all of which are essential for building a proactive and preventive healthcare system. He also mentioned that collaboration between academia, industry, and government is crucial to protect data privacy while overcoming funding limitations and talent shortages.
The University Kebangsaan Malaysia public health medicine specialist, Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, stated that AI plays a key role in public health intervention in more advanced countries through disease surveillance, outbreak response, and healthcare systems management. She highlighted the potential of AI to personalize treatments, automate administrative tasks, and power advanced tools like robot-assisted surgery.
With Malaysia currently in the exploratory stage of AI adoption in healthcare, Dr. Akmal emphasized the need for a national AI strategy tailored to the country's healthcare needs. He stressed the importance of benchmarking against countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, which have integrated AI into their healthcare ecosystems.
Aibig is already conducting notable research that includes using deep learning and machine learning to generate synthetic cancer data, reducing costs, and mitigating privacy concerns. The institute is also developing integrated data platforms for drug discovery and cancer bioinformatics.
However, Dr. Akmal warned about the potential risks of AI adoption in healthcare, including job losses due to automation as well as environmental concerns stemming from the energy-intensive nature of AI systems. He emphasized the importance of ethical considerations, such as ensuring diverse and high-quality datasets and focusing on "Explainable AI" for transparent and equitable healthcare solutions.
Professor Ezat also highlighted the potential risks of AI adoption and called for a balanced approach that enhances healthcare outcomes without worsening inequalities or ethical challenges. She noted that strategic planning and collaboration are necessary to harness AI capabilities and create a more efficient and inclusive healthcare system in Malaysia.
As the country moves forward with its AI adoption, the government, academia, industry, and policymakers must work together to address the challenges and ensure that the benefits of AI are equitably distributed and ethically implemented.