MCMC To Enhance AIFA Chatbot With New Data For Accurate Fact-Checking

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will continue to enrich the reference sources for the Artificial Intelligence Fact-check Assistant (AIFA) chatbot with new data and sources to ensure the accuracy of responses provided to users.

In a statement to Bernama today, MCMC said it would also continue to study the patterns of issues queried by users on the chatbot from time to time and develop user guidelines or frequently asked questions (FAQ) related to AIFA’s functions and role.

According to MCMC, AIFA serves to combat false information and functions as a platform to assist in verifying the authenticity of online news. It is accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is available in four major languages: Malay, English, Tamil, and Mandarin.

"However, some users assume that AIFA functions as a general artificial intelligence (AI) system like ChatGPT or DeepSeek, leading to misunderstandings about AIFA’s role and function, which focuses on fact-checking and verification of false information.

"AIFA is designed to understand and respond dynamically to user input, providing answers based on verified sources such as Sebenarnya.my," the statement read.

Meanwhile, MCMC reported that since the launch of the AIFA chatbot on Jan 28 until Feb 6, 2025, a total of 53,302 user queries had been received, averaging 5,330 messages per day.

As of Feb 6, the commission noted that the most frequently asked questions included concerns about ‘Pejuang Coffee Products Containing Tadalafil Poison’ under the health segment, which accounted for 25 per cent of inquiries, and ‘Israel to Make Malaysia a Visa-Free Destination’ under the governance segment, comprising 24 per cent of inquiries.

"Other common queries included general questions regarding AIFA’s role (general, 17 per cent); the spread of Mpox in Singapore (health, 11 per cent); and ‘Strawberry Quick’ candy (drugs) in schools (crime, 10 per cent)," the statement added.

On Jan 28, the government launched the AIFA AI chatbot, led by MCMC, with the aim of combating false information while serving as a platform for the public to verify online news they are unsure or wary of.

-- BERNAMA