KUALA LUMPUR — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged Malaysia’s youth to master emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to drive economic growth.

He said young people must be prepared to explore new fields of knowledge to ensure the country’s technological advancement is guided by its own values, ethics and principles.

“Digital transformation requires AI. Otherwise, we will fall behind in development and in our ability to strengthen the economy.

“I said recently in Shanghai, when I was with Chinese Premier (Li Qiang), that we must master AI. Otherwise, AI will master us,” he said.

Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari, political secretary to the finance minister Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, Perdana Fellows Alumni Association president Fanitsyara Kam Phon, and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Anwar said while digital transformation and high-technology economic development were essential, such progress should not come at the expense of ethics, morality and human values.

“Reach for the skies, but remain rooted in the ground. That means new technology, new sciences, new research ... but do not let AI erode moral, ethical and human values,” he said.

Anwar said the government would continue to improve the quality of education, strengthen proficiency in Bahasa Melayu and English, and give young Malaysians opportunities to master other languages, including Chinese, Tamil, Arabic, French and German.