KUALA LUMPUR: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) says the increase in the number of corruption cases that have been uncovered was due to its aggressive approach in dealing with graft and integrity issues.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar, said that the apparent rise in corruption and integrity-related cases did not necessarily signal a deterioration in practices, but rather, reflected the government's more aggressive stance in rooting out misconduct at all levels.
"Our continuous efforts have led to an increase in the number of cases uncovered. We are discovering new cases, and integrity issues don't always involve corruption. Even abuse of power is considered a poor integrity practice.
"This increase is partly due to the government's commitment to eradicating corruption, as promised. Our proactive measures have enabled us to discover and address more cases that might have otherwise gone unnoticed," he said when asked about the level of integrity among civil servants over the past two years, at the Madani government's second-anniversary event here today.
On the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing corruption, Ismail said it could help the EAIC in formulating action plans.
"AI can be used in terms of predictive planning, helping us make decisions, such as gauging how the public perceives corruption. From there, we can formulate action plans to address these perceptions effectively.
"Predictive AI gathers information from the public to assess their perception of corruption. If the perception hasn't changed, we will have to implement more robust strategies to raise awareness among the people about corruption," he said.
Ismail said previously, the task relied on surveys or field studies, but the advent of AI has made it easier to gather and collate data.
However, he said human intelligence was still essential in processing and interpreting the data generated by AI.
"We must remember that incorrect data will lead to incorrect conclusions. Human intelligence is still essential in processing and interpreting the data generated by AI.
"In terms of investigations, at present, we are still in the planning stages of using AI in our decision-making processes.
"We're not relying solely on AI for our investigations. Human factors are still necessary and will continue to play a key role."
He also said AI can be used to identify tendencies, such as profiling suspects or examining behavioural patterns.
"However, this is just one of the tools in our investigative approach," he said.