KUCHING: Malaysia will harness all modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to improve its social security services said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
At the Social Security Management International Conference here, he said the adoption of modern technologies was to provide for a better support and security for all.
He said AI offered remarkable promise and potential to streamline the country's social security services, making them more efficient and responsive.
"From improving the accuracy of benefits distribution to enhancing fraud detection and administrative efficiency, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can revolutionize how we deliver social security to enhance our quality of life."
He said however, the integration of AI also offered a range of opportunities and challenges.
"As we know, AI technologies can enhance the efficiency, accuracy,and accessibility of social security services but there are elements which are of critical importance with involves ethical practices."
Fadillah said deliberating the issue of social security in the age of AI was therefore timely as global communities continued to change the landscape of work and economic activities, which may have implications on the sustainability of social security systems.
He said it was therefore imperative that policymakers need to consider how to adapt social security funding and structures that accommodate changes in the workforce and economic environment driven by AI.
"Here I am referring to the opportunities for enhancing the efficiency and responsiveness of our social security systems through innovation and investments."
He said the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), one of the two agencies that managed the country's social security service, had gone digital in its services and introduced online flexible withdrawal.
Fadillah said with EPF introducing digitalized services, including online account management and flexible withdrawal schemes, it had become more critical for the government to protect its systems from vulnerabilities.
The Social Security Organization (Perkeso), he added, had also enhanced its digital platforms for easier access to its services, he said.
Fadillah said as Malaysia navigates its economic and demographic changes, ongoing reform and digital enhancements were therefore essential to ensure that the system remained robust, effective and inclusive in every aspect.
"Let us work together to build a social security system that not only meets the demands of today but one that also anticipate and prepare us for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
"Together, we can create a future where social security is not only a safety net but a beacon of hope and resilience for all of us."