MyGOV, the single hub for Malaysian government services, is now available for download as a Beta release. Besides offering access to 34 government services, the app developed by the National Digital Department also includes an AI Chatbot.

Interestingly, the AI Chatbot feature has been disabled after it was found to be giving out weird answers.

As shared during today’s media briefing, the AI Chatbot uses a local Large Language Model (LLM) which is still undergoing training. The AI Chat feature is said to be focused on the services provided and the team wants it to be the source of reference for the nation.

For instance when we asked who is the Minister in charge of Communications, the AI Chatbot responded Gobind Singh Deo instead of Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. The AI Chatbot also incorrectly named Gobind Singh Deo as the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability and Nga Kor Ming as the Minister of Economy.

When we asked who is Fahmi Fadzil, it erroneously mentioned that Fahmi is a Member of Parliament for Batu Pahat and the former Menteri Besar of Johor.

When we asked questions about the Ministry of Digital, it also failed to recognise its Secretary General (Ketua Setiausaha). The AI describes Fabian Bigar as a famous Filipino actor and model, while naming Azmin Ali as the Secretary General for the Ministry.

On top of that, it also provided wrong answers when asked about the designer of the Malaysian Flag (“Jalur Gemilang”).

When we pressed further on the source of the answer, it responded that it couldn’t give any information as it is not relevant to MyGOV. It also directed users to consult with the Public Service Department (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam) for further information about MyGOV.

More critically, the AI Chatbot also failed to provide clarity on the recently announced government initiatives such as the RM100 SARA aid and the reduced RM1.99 per litre RON95 petrol price which is set take place next month. For both questions, it responded that both initiatives have commenced since 1st July 2022.

At the time of writing, the AI Chatbot has been disabled on the MyGOV Beta app. The chat box now displays “Akan Datang” (Coming soon).

It is good that the National Digital Department has taken swift action to disable the AI Chatbot to prevent further spread of inaccurate info. At the very least, the Chatbot should have clear boundaries and stop at providing responses to questions that are beyond its intended scope.

Hopefully, they will make further improvements so that it can be a dependable as a one-stop AI assistant capable of answering any questions about the government’s services and initiatives.

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