‘Govern AI or it will govern us,’ Anwar warns in China

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a one-on-one business meeting at the Midtown Shangri-La Hotel in Hangzhou on September 23, 2026. — Bernama pic

First Published: Thursday, 24 Sep 2026 12:42 PM MYT

HANGZHOU, Sept 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for an ethics-driven approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and a more open, rules-based digital trade regime to ensure developing nations share in the gains of technological progress.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo here, he acknowledged China’s advancement in visualisation and AI as well as its role in sharing technological advancements with the Global South.

“To my mind, this is what is remarkable about the Chinese leadership, and their willingness to continue to give meaning and essence to real globalisation,” he said in his keynote address here.

Held at the Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Centre, the five-day expo officiated by China’s Premier Li Qiang is one of China’s major digital economy platforms.

Anwar, who is also the finance ninister, said Malaysia’s objectives in AI are clear, namely to raise productivity, help smaller firms compete, and move industries into higher-value work, while ensuring that Malaysians gain from technological change rather than merely live with its consequences.

“The principle remains, either we govern artificial intelligence or artificial intelligence will govern us,” he said, while calling for an ethics-based framework to ensure that innovation and technological advancement remain firmly in the service of humanity

He said this was a fundamental issue that touched on the recurring problem of the digital divide, particularly as nations pursued rapid technological advancement amid persistent socio-economic inequalities.

“Exponential growth of AI, for example, may be what most nations aspire to, but what purpose would it really serve humanity if such expansion only leads to widening the gap between wealthy and developing nations, advanced and developing economies?

“This is not an imagined or exaggerated fear but a profound concern for the well-being of regions, nations, and communities. The question is whether these technologies will give developing countries a larger say in their own future or leave them dependent on technologies designed elsewhere,” he said.

Anwar said true economic advancement could not proceed in a vacuum, while real expansion of technology could not be sustained without considering the technology gap.

The Prime Minister’s three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou concludes today.

China has remained Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with total bilateral trade reaching US$113.82 billion (RM456.68 billion) between January and August this year. — Bernama