Minister: AI app in development to combat scams, deepfakes

Summary

• Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo says an AI-based application is being developed to verify images and videos, aiding investigations into scams, identity fraud, and digital defamation.

• The ministry is also drafting AI guidelines on data protection, automated decision-making, and ethical AI use, expected early next year.

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PARLIAMENT | Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said his ministry is developing an application to assist investigations into cybercrimes.

He told Dewan Rakyat today that the application will be based on artificial intelligence (AI).

"The Digital Ministry, through CyberSecurity Malaysia, is developing an application based on AI in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to verify the authenticity of images and videos, aimed at assisting in the investigation of cybercrimes such as scams, identity fraud and the spread of digital defamation," Gobind said.

He was responding to Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Harapan-Balik Pulau), who asked about the government's efforts in using AI to handle online scams, including fraud.

In July last year, then-Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Ramli Yoosuf urged victims of deepfake scams to lodge a police report in order to facilitate action.

That same month, Securities Commission Malaysia warned the public about deepfake scams created through AI to imitate prominent people and names of reputable companies.

In December last year, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching warned the public against falling for a deepfake video featuring a former Bank Negara Malaysia governor offering “lifetime investment secrets”.

Deepfakes are media created using AI, which digitally alter a person's face or body to mimic that of another person, usually to deceive or entertain viewers.

Guidelines on AI use

Meanwhile, Gobind said his ministry is in the midst of developing a guideline for the use of AI, which is expected to be completed between January and March, 2026.

It will cover the following issues:

• Data protection impact assessment in order to identify and minimise risks related to products, systems, and software that process personal data.

• A guideline for designing based on data protection, aimed at guiding organisations on integrating data protection into every stage of system and process design.

• Guidelines on automated decision making and profiling that will ensure that profiling and automated decision making are not used inappropriately.

"Additionally, the Digital Ministry, through the National Digital Department, has also developed guidelines for the adoption of AI in the public sector.

“This is to support government departments and agencies in implementing the use of AI technology safely, ethically and responsibly, in accordance with the principles of governance and compliance with laws and human rights," Gobind said.

Besides that, he said the government is carrying out training and capacity building programmes for civil servants, as well as enforcement officers and the private sector.

"The government will continue to intensify efforts in developing a safe, responsible and resilient AI ecosystem to comprehensively tackle scam crimes, in line with the desire to make Malaysia a regional leader in digital economy and cyber security," he added.

Reporting by Zarrah Morden, Alyaa Alhadjri, and B Nantha Kumar.

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