Can AI avatars bring politicians and citizens closer? Malaysian PM Anwar thinks so

Malaysia's prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has unveiled an AI-powered digital avatar designed to engage directly with Malaysians, marking a new step in the government's use of artificial intelligence for public communication.

Shared across his social media channels, the initiative invites members of the public to interact with "Avatar Anwar", which the prime minister described as a digital extension of himself that can listen to concerns, explore ideas and facilitate conversations with citizens.

In a post accompanying the launch, PM Anwar said Malaysia is built on the aspirations, strength and diversity of its people, adding that he wants to continue listening to the hopes of young people, parents, senior citizens and all Malaysians seeking a better future.

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He encouraged the public to share their views, concerns and aspirations directly through the avatar, saying the country can only progress when it is guided by the voices and needs of its people. He also invited Malaysians to participate in the initiative to spark new conversations about the country's future.

The launch was accompanied by a two-and-a-half-minute AI-generated film introducing the avatar. The video features multiple AI-generated versions of PM Anwar, each representing different aspects of his public life, including wisdom, faith, reform, leadership, youth engagement and national vision.

In the video, PM Anwar acknowledges that "no leader can be everywhere all at once", positioning AI as a way to bridge that gap by creating what he calls a new dimension of national communication.

Rather than describing the avatar as a virtual character, PM Anwar calls it "a digital extension of myself", designed to be ready to "listen, assist and serve the people".

The film concludes with the phrase "Avatar Anwar, assemble!", before bringing together the various AI personas into a single digital twin under what PM Anwar describes as the "MADANI Multiverse".

According to the video, the avatar aims to provide Malaysians with a new way to connect with the prime minister, exchange perspectives and explore ideas, while reinforcing the government's vision of building a future powered by innovation, opportunity and shared prosperity.

Early social conversations suggest the initiative has been largely well received. According to media intelligence firm CARMA, discussion surrounding PMX AI has been predominantly neutral to positive across key markets, with Malaysia generating the highest volume of conversation.

The launch recorded 2,789 online mentions and more than 154,000 engagements shortly after its debut, with nearly two-thirds of conversations expressing positive sentiment and only 6% classified as negative. Young Malaysians were the primary drivers of discussion, particularly those aged between 18 and 34.

CARMA found that positive conversations centred on digital innovation, improved accessibility and the potential for AI to enhance public service communication. Meanwhile, neutral discussions were largely focused on understanding how the platform works and its availability.

Negative sentiment, while limited, was primarily linked to concerns around privacy, AI governance, technical reliability and trust. According to CARMA, the early response suggests strong public receptiveness to AI-powered government communication, provided future efforts continue to prioritise transparency, security and tangible public value.

The launch also comes amid broader conversations about the use of AI in Malaysia's public communications and tourism marketing. Recently, Tourism Malaysia faced criticism over an allegedly fully AI-generated promotional video for the Citrawarna 2026 cultural celebration.

The video, which showcased AI-generated depictions of Malaysian landmarks, food, traditional performances and cultural icons, drew backlash across social media, with many questioning the decision to use artificial intelligence in a campaign intended to celebrate the country's cultural heritage.

Photo courtesy of Anwar Ibrahim on Facebook. 

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