Sarawak's AI plan targets the benefits of technology to rural areas

KUCHING, 20 Oct: Sarawak's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan not only accelerates the state's digital transformation but also targets expanding the benefits of the technology to people in urban, suburban and rural areas.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Sarawak Artificial Intelligence Centre (SAIC), Prof. I'm going to see Dr. Patrick Then said that the action plan covers five main pillars namely government transformation, technology, talent development, governance and AI economy to develop a comprehensive ecosystem of use of technology in Sarawak.

"The uniqueness of Sarawak's AI Action Plan lies in its emphasis on the AI economy, which is underrated in most other action plans. Sarawak wants to use AI to generate economic value for every individual, organization, SME as well as the public sector", he said during a media meeting at Future of Business Technology 2026: AI, Infrastructure, Design & Digital Innovation Forum here today.

Commenting on Sarawak's AI Grid, he said that the initiatives aimed to be implemented before 2030 will accelerate the use of AI at individual, organization and state level, as well as ensure that more people can enjoy the benefits of the technology.

"The AI grid will bring together these diverse needs so that every citizen of Sarawak can enjoy the benefits of AI, including those engaged in agricultural activities in areas without internet access, to help solve their daily challenges", he said.

Meanwhile, Patrick said the establishment of the Quantum-Safe Centre in collaboration with International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) through IBM Quantum is a proactive move by Sarawak to strengthen the security of digital assets and critical infrastructure of the state from cyber threats based on quantum technology.

Among the main risks to be aware of, he says, are the actions of hackers who steal and store current data for decryption as quantum technology matures in the future.

"Hackers can steal data today and make it difficult two or three years from now as quantum technology develops. Therefore, we need to ensure that all critical infrastructure and digital assets of Sarawak are assessed from now on in order to identify vulnerabilities to quantum threats", he stressed.

He also stressed the importance of early protection measures to ensure security of state digital systems and data in the future. - TVS