KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — Malaysians who pay for ChatGPT or other AI apps will be able to claim the cost as tax relief under Budget 2027, one of several measures proposed to get more people and businesses using artificial intelligence (AI).

The budget also adds 100,000 free AI subscriptions for young people and sets aside RM30 million to help small businesses adopt the technology, alongside longer-term spending on skills, research and a sovereign AI cloud, as part of the government’s goal of making Malaysia an AI nation by 2030.

The existing AI Untuk Rakyat programme offers 100,000 Malaysians aged 18 to 30 three months’ free access to selected AI apps once they pass six learning modules on the Rakyat Digital portal.