A defense analyst has called for government vigilance, raising concerns about the reliability and potential for data breaches as the government urges security agencies to accelerate the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into operational processes.
Lam Chun Wah of the University of Malaya said the absence of Malaysian-owned generative AI forces these security agencies, which often handle sensitive and sensitive information, to rely on foreign products.
This has led to concerns about the security and privacy of data entered into the technology, even for purely administrative purposes, due to the lack of domestic safeguards and the data being stored overseas.
“My view is that our security agencies must be especially careful when applying AI. The risk of data breaches cannot be underestimated,” he told FMT.
Lam said questions also remain about the reliability and accuracy of AI, and such tools should be used only as a reference point.
He said there are AI tools in the security field, such as object detectors, that can aid government agencies in their enforcement efforts. But Lamb says there are questions about its accuracy.
Although AI companies are expected to improve the reliability and accuracy of their tools in the near future, Lam predicted that the tools will not be widely used for at least another five years.
“It is premature to claim that AI is already ready to be applied in the security field.”
Earlier this month, Interior Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail urged agencies and ministries under his ministry to accelerate the adoption of AI to increase productivity and efficiency.
He said generative AI can improve management efficiency by analyzing large amounts of information and quickly drafting documents.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Authority (MMEA) responded to the call, saying AI can help identify asset strengths and gaps while streamlining operations.
Last month, cybersecurity experts called on the city of Putrajaya to ban the use of Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek in departments and agencies that handle it. Sensitive data and critical workflows Concerns national security and sovereignty.
They say that each time a prompt is entered, important information could be accidentally entered into the chatbot, and that data could be stored outside the country and used to train and improve AI models.
Malaysia cannot afford to miss the boat
Maritime expert Salawati Mat Bashir believes that the use of AI in the security sector is now practically mandatory, and said coast guards in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are already moving in that direction.
Sarawati, from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said AI security tools already exist for intelligence and tactical operations, particularly to locate and identify foreign vessels and foreign forces in maritime areas.
“AI is currently being used in wars and conflicts around the world. Satellites are also used to support operations, allowing us to pinpoint the enemy’s location.”
“I believe that AI can enhance security operations. We will not make progress if we just stick to the traditional,” she says.
Salawati acknowledged that Malaysia has fusion centers that share satellite images between agencies, and said that by combining these with AI tools, the MMEA in particular could obtain information on maritime threats more quickly.
But he said he knew little about the AI tools that government agencies were planning to use or were already using, adding that the information was likely kept secret in the name of protecting national security.
While a lack of transparency has led to questionable outcomes in the past, Salawati said in good faith that she intended to give the agency the benefit of the doubt.
