The Prime Minister of Malaysia is initiating the development of an AI version of himself.

      Malaysia's prime minister is embarking on a novel approach: deploying an autonomous avatar of himself to serve the public. Anwar Ibrahim is set to introduce an artificial intelligence version of himself named PMX AI, which references his position as the country’s tenth prime minister. According to Bloomberg, the launch could occur within days.

      The avatar was developed by the Malaysian digital infrastructure company, Zetrix AI Bhd., which trained it using Anwar’s speeches, writings, and government records. The aim is for it to closely resemble and replicate his voice and demeanor. This initiative is part of his political party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and it comes ahead of a national election scheduled to take place by early 2028.

      Beyond just a digital talking head, many politicians have shared AI-generated clips of themselves. However, what distinguishes PMX AI is its functionality; it is designed to take action rather than merely speak. Engineers created it to execute tasks autonomously, enabling it to handle requests, break them down into actionable steps, and complete them with minimal human intervention.

      In practical terms, the avatar is designed to assist citizens, such as by helping them renew a driving license, sending payment links, and confirming transactions. It communicates in both English and Malay, adapting to local dialects and slang.

      Additionally, it serves as a careers adviser, guiding individuals towards training programs, job opportunities, and recommending courses to students based on their interests. “AI will transform governance and politics,” remarked TS Wong, the group managing director of Zetrix. The company continuously updates the model with Anwar’s recent comments, enhancing the avatar’s realism in almost real-time.

      The promotional video clearly illustrates ambition, albeit in an unusual manner. “It is a digital extension of myself. Ready to listen, assist and serve the people,” states the narration in Anwar’s voice, accompanied by visuals portraying him as an astronaut, a superhero, and a character resembling Neo from The Matrix.

      The timing is strategic. Anwar aims to project an image of a leader who embraces AI and digital investment, striving to gain the support of younger voters. An avatar that is ever-present and consistent in its messaging serves as a valuable campaign tool.

      While Malaysia is not the first to implement AI in political contexts, it is pushing the boundaries further. Other leaders have utilized AI previously; Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered multilingual messages using AI, India’s Narendra Modi has addressed audiences in various Indian languages using AI, and South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung employed an AI avatar during his campaign to respond to voter inquiries directly. Malaysia’s unique contribution is the autonomy of the avatar, which performs actions rather than just offering talk.

      However, the use of an autonomous representative for the head of government raises significant concerns. The same system capable of sending payment links could, following a malfunction or security breach, send misleading information instead. As AI avatars become increasingly sophisticated, distinguishing between a beneficial public service and a manipulative political tool becomes more complex.

      Regulators are beginning to address these concerns. France is planning to increase penalties for AI-generated election disinformation, while China is taking steps to control lifelike AI agents. The technology to detect such issues is also advancing, with Google’s SynthID watermark being one of the pioneering tools designed to identify political deepfakes.

      Malaysia is counting on voters to perceive PMX AI as a convenience rather than manipulation. Anwar’s team is confident that the avatar will assist individuals in navigating a sluggish bureaucracy. The more challenging question remains whether citizens will recognize or care that the prime minister responding to them is an AI.