He said this will reaffirm Malaysia’s commitment to supporting the region’s digital priorities and building trusted regional digital governance.

“The Asean AI Safety Network will serve as a regional platform to strengthen cooperation on capacity-building, regulatory preparedness and safeguard measures, ensuring that innovation in AI continues to advance while risks and misuse are effectively addressed,” he said in a statement, Bernama reported.

The statement was issued in conjunction with the 6th Asean Digital Ministers’ Meeting held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from Jan 12-16.

He said the meeting welcomed the adoption of the Asean Guide for Sustainable Data Centre Development, initiated by Malaysia.

Gobind said he met with Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn and both emphasised the importance of accelerating the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement to drive the region’s future economic growth.

The agreement will enable greater cross-border digital trade and improve market access.

It will also help unlock new growth opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises by lowering barriers for participation in the regional digital economy.