Malaysian AI company Zetrix AI Berhad said it signed an agreement to establish its second ASEAN China AI Lab in Indonesia, expanding a government-backed initiative to develop artificial intelligence applications across Southeast Asia.
The company partnered with Indonesia’s PT Royal Solusi Investasi to set up the Jakarta facility, four months after opening its first lab in Malaysia as part of a government-to-government collaboration between China and Malaysia.
The expansion targets Indonesia’s market of over 285 million people, making it Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The lab will focus on replicating and localizing AI projects for the Indonesian market, combining blockchain, generative AI and robotics technologies.
“ASEAN can be an important centre for global AI innovation that caters to the needs of the Global South,” said TS Wong, Zetrix AI’s group managing director. “We can provide a credible third option to the present Western or Chinese models, a hybrid model that bridges the existing divide.”
Royal Solusi Investasi is part of Royal Group, an Indonesian investment holding company with interests spanning digital transformation, virtual reality, education technology and blockchain applications.
“The ASEAN-China AI Lab will position Indonesia as a bridge between ASEAN and China in advancing artificial intelligence,” said Irawan Mulyadi, CEO of Royal Group.
The initiative aims to accelerate AI development across the region by bringing together technology companies from China and ASEAN to develop cross-border applications customized for local markets and cultural values.
The Malaysian lab has already launched NurAI, described as the world’s first Shariah-aligned large language model, according to the companies.
Zetrix AI, formerly known as MY E.G. Services Berhad, began operations in 2000 as a provider of electronic government services in Malaysia before expanding into blockchain and AI technologies. The company operates a Layer-1 blockchain platform called Zetrix.
The governments of both countries support the lab establishment to ensure smooth technology transfer and data privacy compliance for cross-border applications, the companies said.
Business News Asia
