Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence (AI) models, solutions, upgraded infrastructure offerings in Malaysia to advance the country’s AI agenda.

The firm said in a statement on Thursday that these advancements aim to empower businesses and developers in Malaysia to build innovative AI applications more cost-effectively and drive a thriving generative AI ecosystem in the region.

“At Alibaba Cloud, we are committed to driving AI innovation in Malaysia by providing cutting-edge models, scalable infrastructure, and dedicated support for customers, partners and developers,

“Our latest advancements will empower local talents and businesses to enhance efficiency, scale AI applications, and contribute to Malaysia’s digital future powered by AI,” said Kun Huang, General Manager of Malaysia, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

Meanwhile, Wilson Ugak Anak Kumbong, the Deputy Minister of Digital of Malaysia, stated that Malaysia is committed to leveraging AI for digital transformation and economic growth.

“With initiatives like Alibaba Cloud’s AI advancements and industry collaborations, we are strengthening our AI ecosystem and empowering local businesses,

“Together, we can build a Malaysia that is not just a participant but a leader in the global digital economy—one that is innovative, inclusive, and prosperous,” he added.

To support growing AI demands, Alibaba Cloud announced the global rollout of its 9th Generation Enterprise Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances, set to be available in mid of 2025 in Malaysia.

The firm also introduced the Qwen2.5 series, its latest generation of large language models (LLMs), available in parameter sizes ranging from 7 billion to 72 billion.

It has also unveiled its latest visual-language model, Qwen2.5-VL, representing a significant enhancement over its predecessor, Qwen2-VL.

To further support developers, the firm has also unveiled its proprietary AI-powered coding assistant, which will be available for developers in April 2025.

Alibaba Cloud is also strengthening Malaysia’s AI ecosystem through key collaborations, showcasing how its secure and innovative AI solutions are being applied in real-world scenarios.

For instance, Alibaba Cloud is collaborating with YTL Power International Bhd’s AI innovation unit, YTL AI Labs, to support its AI research and implementation efforts.

“Our collaboration with Alibaba Cloud has enabled us to accelerate our AI research and development, particularly in advancing Malay-language AI models,

“By leveraging Alibaba Cloud’s infrastructure and AI capabilities, we are making significant strides in creating localized AI solutions that cater to Malaysia’s digital landscape,” said Foong Chee Mun, Chief Executive Officer, YTL AI Labs.

Alibaba Cloud has also announced its extended collaboration with Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The two parties aim to collaborate to leverage Alibaba Cloud’s advanced AI technologies to enhance operational efficiency, decision-making processes, and customer support for PNB.

“Alibaba Cloud has been instrumental in enhancing our customer-facing operations in digital retail and distribution,

“At PNB, we are committed to enhancing our customer experience through scalable and resilient solutions, robust technology risk management practices and strategic adoption of emerging technologies such as Gen AI,” said Rick Ramli, Deputy President and Group Chief Executive, PNB.

Alibaba Cloud has also announced its deepened collaboration with HiSEVEN, a digital marketing service provider in Malaysia through a signed MoU.

“This collaboration will enable HiSEVEN and Alibaba Cloud to further penetrate the marketing sector, utilizing advanced technology to offer brands smarter and more efficient marketing tools and strategic support,

“HiSEVEN remains dedicated to product development and optimisation, enhancing service quality, and assisting brands in achieving significant breakthroughs in the global marketplace,” said Jason Lin, Chief Executive Officer, HiSEVEN.

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