Malaysia Deploys Virtual Assistant Technology At Digital Forum In Vietnam

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysia made waves at the 3rd Vietnam International Digital Week 2024 (VIDW-2024) and the 5th ASEAN Conference on 5G in Ha Long, Vietnam on Wednesday, with a cutting-edge presentation featuring Virtual Assistant (VAS) technology.

Embracing the innovation, Ministry of Communications secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa took on the role of “Virtual Assistant” to present the adoption of VAS in the Malaysian public sector.

“Malaysia foresees the integration of Virtual Assistants as a significant component in public sector operations by 2030 as it helps to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and information consistency,” he said in his introduction.

He said the adoption of the technology is driven by its substantial benefits in enhancing public service delivery, including 24/7 support.

“Virtual Assistants will be excellent at handling routine inquiries and tasks, thereby freeing up human resources for more complex and critical functions.” 

Virtual Assistants also facilitate the automation of routine services, and will  significantly minimise the need for extensive human resources in customer support and administrative tasks, he stated.

 Mohamad Fauzi said the Malaysian public sector is increasingly adopting VAS technology, with a focus on Generative AI applications like chatbots and tools such as Gemini and Microsoft CoPilot. 

According to him, The National Digital Department (JDN) leads the initiative by incorporating AI chatbots on its portal and exploring VAS within Google Workspace environments to enhance productivity in tasks such as email management, document handling, and content creation.

 Mohamad Fauzi also shared several examples of VAS adopted within the Malaysian public sector including AI@JDN, an AI powered chatbot for National Digital Department’s portal, and Abang Tani, the chatbot for the agricultural Census system managed by the Department of Statistics. 

Another example is Dayang, a chatbot for Sarawak’s state government portal that provides residents with easy access to government services and information, he said.

Virtual avatars have also been created for Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) including Aisha, Rhia, Andi and Melati, while AiRa is a virtual deejay for RTM Music.

  -- BERNAMA