The Malaysian government has announced a new initiative that will provide up to 100,000 young Malaysians with free subscriptions to artificial intelligence (AI) software. The programme is aimed at improving AI literacy and encouraging responsible adoption of the technology among the country’s youth.
Announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the launch of AI Malaysia Berhad today, the initiative falls under the AI Untuk Rakyat programme. Registration will open on 31 August, with Malaysians aged between 18 and 30 eligible to participate.
The free subscriptions will not be handed out immediately. Instead, participants must first complete a series of AI-related courses available through the Rakyat Digital platform before receiving three months of access to selected AI tools.
Launched in late 2024 by the Ministry of Digital, Rakyat Digital serves as the government’s centralised digital learning platform, building on the earlier AI Untuk Rakyat initiative. It offers free online courses covering topics such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data literacy, with certificates awarded upon successful completion.
For this latest initiative, participants will need to complete modules covering AI Safety, Cyber SAFE, Agentic AI, Generative AI, and Cloud Untuk Rakyat. According to Anwar, the requirement is intended to ensure participants understand how to use AI technologies effectively and responsibly before gaining access to the software. “We want them to follow the courses and complete them so that we are confident they can use these tools,” he said during the launch.
The Prime Minister added that the AI Untuk Rakyat programme forms part of Malaysia’s ambition to become an AI-driven nation. Apart from promoting AI adoption, the government also aims to strengthen AI talent development, improve digital infrastructure, expose students to AI from an early age, and continue developing responsible AI governance.
One detail that remains unclear is the identity of the “selected AI tools” that successful participants will receive. The official announcement did not specify which AI software providers are involved, and we have reached out to the Ministry of Digital for clarification. We will update this article once we receive a response.
(Source: Ministry of Digital)
