An academic recommends that the government increase its efforts to establish smart cities driven by artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to facilitate public acceptance of this emerging technology.
Putrajaya sets the target of transforming the three federal territories into smart cities by 2030, prioritising sustainability. Planned initiatives involve introducing electric buses in Wangsa Maju as a trailblazing low-carbon city, deploying closed-circuit camera (CCTV) installations in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and providing WiFi in residential areas and public housing projects in Labuan, according to FMT.
Johari Yusof, a lecturer in the landscape architecture faculty at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), asserts that AI can play a crucial role in various aspects of smart city initiatives, including governance, transportation, healthcare, and waste disposal.
He emphasises that integrating AI into daily life can encourage more individuals to embrace the technology, aligning with the government’s goal of leveraging it for national development.
Johari states, “I don’t see why people wouldn’t be interested in living in a smart city. When AI is applied in smart cities, residents’ lives are simplified, leading to an improvement in the overall quality of life.”
During the launch of ‘AI Untuk Rakyat’ program for the people last Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the government’s aim to have one million citizens participate in a four-hour AI literacy program by the end of the year.
Yuserrie Zainuddin, the vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Sultan Abdullah, highlights the need for Malaysia to expedite the adoption of AI, particularly at the higher education level.
He stresses that all students should be exposed to and educated about AI to seamlessly incorporate it into their daily lives, asserting that Malaysia is prepared to harness this transformative technology.
