Govt taps existing laws, upcoming AI Bill to curb deepfakes and tech misuse

KUALA LUMPUR - The government is adopting a two-pronged approach by using existing laws to prosecute those who misuse content, while also drafting the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Bill to further strengthen prevention and accountability throughout the technology’s lifecycle.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the move is aimed at ensuring that risks posed by high-capability technologies such as deepfakes, synthetic content and identity manipulation can be addressed at an early stage.

"This layered strategy ensures that existing legal measures and the AI Governance Bill complement each other in balancing innovation with systemic risk control.

"This proactive approach is crucial to driving the responsible use of AI without compromising public safety, national interests and comprehensive protection of victims’ rights, individual dignity and children,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang), who asked whether the proposed AI Governance Bill would explicitly address the misuse of AI, including the creation of deepfake child sexual abuse material, identity impersonation and the dissemination of intimate content without consent.

In response to a supplementary question from Wong on whether the AI Governance Bill is intended to establish a framework for the AI development industry in Malaysia, Gobind said the proposed legislation is aimed not only at addressing the risks of misuse of the technology, but also at creating a framework to ensure AI systems are developed safely from the outset.

He said the approach complements efforts to strengthen existing laws to address emerging threats arising from the use of AI, including child exploitation, sexual assault and unlawful content.

"We have to look at AI holistically. AI cuts across all sectors. Therefore, we need to see how we can regulate the process from start to finish. For instance, content generated by AI must be dealt with if it violates the law,” he said.

Meanwhile, in his reply to a supplementary question from Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang) on whether the proposed AI Governance Bill places full emphasis on AI sovereignty, Gobind said the development of a secure AI ecosystem requires a comprehensive approach to address any legal violations arising from the use of the technology.

He said the government is also focusing on the safety of AI models, including data protection and the assessment of products generated before they are deployed.

"So we have to build ecosystems. As I mentioned, existing laws that have long been in place can be tightened and expanded to cover all these aspects, and we are introducing the necessary reforms to ensure that not only AI, but also new technologies, can be effectively addressed.

"Secondly, we go back to the models. We have ensured that the models being developed are safe, where data security and related aspects are guaranteed. We can also ensure, assess and scrutinise the resulting products before they are released,” he said. - BERNAMA