Monna Ong, of the Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (UTAR UMT) , said young voters are increasingly turning to AI not just for information, but also for opinions on political matters.

She cited an anecdote of a 19-year-old who told her she would “ask ChatGPT” when unsure about voting decisions, describing the trend as “quite worrying”.

“AI is increasingly becoming a kind of mirror of the world where young people may turn to it not only for information, but for opinions, even on something as important as voting,” said Ong, who holds a PhD in psychology.

She was taking part in a forum held in conjunction with the launch of her book, titled “Engaging A Generation: Voting Intention and Political Participation Among Malaysian Millennials”.

P Ananda Kumar, who heads TAR UMT’s Institute for Research Capacity and Publication, expects AI to become a key tool for political actors as young voters become increasingly influenced by emerging technologies.

Former Umno leader Shahril Hamdan said AI could transform campaigning strategies, particularly in content generation and through data-driven targeting of audiences.

However, he said, Malaysia’s political parties have yet to fully develop such capabilities.

Shahril also said political participation has increasingly moved online through the years, cautioning against interpreting low turnout at rallies as political apathy.

“Activism now no longer needs to take the form of physically being present on the ground,” said the former Umno Youth vice-chief.