Malaysia is set to implement a national cloud policy and introduce regulations to foster the ethical use of AI, as announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday.

The national cloud policy targets four key areas: improving public services, boosting economic growth, strengthening user trust and data security, as well as promoting digital inclusivity.

The government also plans to create a national office dedicated to coordinating various initiatives related to AI, including the completion of a five-year technology action plan and regulatory frameworks to encourage the ethical and sustainable adoption of AI over the next year.

The announcement coincided with Google’s new US$2 billion data center and cloud region in Malaysia, where it has partnered with a local technology firm to provide sovereign cloud services.