PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to unveil an artificial intelligence-powered digital avatar of himself, marking a significant milestone in Malaysia's digital transformation and placing the country among a small number of nations using AI representations of serving national leaders for public engagement.
Known as PMX AI, the avatar has been developed by Malaysian digital infrastructure company Zetrix AI Bhd in collaboration with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and is expected to be launched within days.
Designed as a digital extension of the Prime Minister, PMX AI has been trained using Anwar's speeches, writings and the policies of his administration, enabling it to respond in a manner that closely reflects his communication style and policy positions.
Unlike conventional chatbots, the system has been built as an "agentic" AI capable of independently carrying out multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention.
Bloomberg cited Zetrix Group Managing Director TS Wong, saying that the platform incorporates a proprietary "personal knowledge" model that is continuously updated with the Prime Minister's latest speeches and public statements to ensure its responses remain current and closely aligned with his views.
"AI will transform governance and politics," Wong said.
The Prime Minister's Office has released a promotional video introducing PMX AI, describing it as more than a virtual character.
"No leader can be everywhere, at every moment. That is the reality.
"It's not merely an avatar. It is a digital extension of myself. Ready to listen, assist and serve the people," the narration says.
The launch video depicts Anwar in a series of futuristic settings, including as an astronaut, a superhero and a character inspired by science fiction, underscoring the government's vision of technology-driven public service delivery.
PMX AI is expected to assist Malaysians in navigating government services, including completing administrative procedures such as driver's licence renewals, processing digital payments and providing confirmation once transactions have been completed.
The platform will communicate fluently in both Bahasa Malaysia and English while also recognising regional dialects, colloquial expressions and Malaysian slang to make interactions more natural and accessible.
Beyond government services, PMX AI is intended to provide personalised recommendations on skills training, employment opportunities and educational pathways by analysing users' interests, qualifications and individual circumstances through conversation.
The initiative forms part of the government's broader digitalisation agenda as Malaysia seeks to position itself as a regional leader in artificial intelligence, digital investment and high-value industries ahead of the next general election, which must be held by early 2028.
Internationally, Malaysia joins a growing group of countries experimenting with AI representations of political leaders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has used AI-generated multilingual messages, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has employed AI to communicate in multiple Indian languages, while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung utilised an AI avatar extensively during his election campaign to interact with voters and deliver campaign messages. - July 10, 2026
