(From right) Japri and Sagah hold up the promotional posters of the conference in a photocall. — Photo by Aliah Abdullah
KUCHING (Aug 25): The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) could pose a threat to cultural heritage and history as digital platforms increasingly collect and combine information from various sources, said Pustaka Negeri Sarawak chief executive officer Japri Bujang Masli.
He said AI systems harvest vast amounts of data, particularly from online sources, while books and other heritage materials are also being digitised and fed into AI systems.
“As AI mixes everyone’s heritage and provides new information to everyone, this could blur the boundaries of our heritage and history, which is not very healthy,” he said during the International Knowledge Conference (IKC) 2026 press conference at Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) Tower here yesterday.
Japri said this highlighted the need to ensure the unique identity and heritage of each community and nation continued to be respected and preserved, even as people embraced greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing through AI.
“We want people to unite and work with each other, but we must also respect the unique identity of each people, so that we can respect and learn from each other,” he said.
In this regard, he stressed that human intelligence must remain at the forefront of AI to ensure the public can navigate its transformative era.
“Actually, Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) should be the ultimate safety net for people when it comes to authoritative and authentic information.
“That is why we need to converge and strategise moving forward to ensure that trust in these public institutions remains high, and that the public is aware that these public heritage and information institutions still exist and are still willing to help them navigate the revolutions in information management and information sharing in the era of artificial intelligence,” he added.
On IKC 2026, Japri said participants would have the opportunity to hear from three keynote speakers, with two already confirmed namely Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Associate Professor Dr Bong Chih How from and Steven Wang, the vice president of research and development and chief architect of Huawei’s Government Public Service Digitalisation Business Unit.
Themed ‘Trusted Knowledge in the Age of AI: The Evolving Role of GLAM Institutions’, IKC 2026 will be held at The Waterfront Hotel from Nov 23 to 26.
Also present was Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.