In a move to position the nation at the forefront of technological innovation, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that his administration will introduce a comprehensive new law to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Maldives.
The announcement, made in response to questions about the government's digital strategy, during the President’s weekly press conference underscores a commitment to proactively govern emerging technologies rather than simply adopt them. This AI-specific legislation will be a key pillar of the broader "Maldives 2.0" digitalisation initiative.
The President confirmed that the government is looking to present to Parliament alongside three other previously announced pieces of legislation—a Digital Transformation Bill, a Digital Identity Bill, and a Cybersecurity Bill, all pledged during this year's Presidential Address.
"AI is something we need to embrace if we are going to be at the forefront of digitalisation. When we embrace AI, it needs to be regulated through the legal system,” he explained.
The government's ambitious timeline aims to complete the digitisation of the entire state apparatus by next year, coinciding with the AI bill's introduction to Parliament. This push for a modern, digital governance system is based on the principle of good governance and is intended to drastically enhance the efficiency of government services for the people.
A major milestone in this digital overhaul is the establishment of a single network for civil registration services by the end of this year, a project designed to make the Maldives the most comprehensive civil registration service provider at the regional level.