Malaysia greenlights AI ChatGPT in universities with strict guidelines

Malaysia has decided not to ban the use of AI-driven ChatGPT in higher education institutions, as long as its usage complies with the established guidelines. Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin stated that a set of guidelines has been issued and distributed to local universities, outlining the appropriate and inappropriate situations for ChatGPT usage.

The minister acknowledged that the use of ChatGPT is becoming the norm and cannot be avoided in today’s world. However, he emphasised the importance of drawing a line on when and where it would be suitable for use. He referred to a recent case in the United States, where two lawyers blamed ChatGPT for tricking them into including fictitious legal research in a court filing after responding to an angry judge in Manhattan Federal Court.

Mohamed Khaled had previously commented on March 17 that his ministry was working on guidelines to govern the use of ChatGPT. At that time, he mentioned that ChatGPT and other AI technologies could be beneficial if adopted as tools in the learning process. With the guidelines now distributed to local universities, Malaysia is taking a cautious but forward-looking approach to incorporating AI technologies into higher education.