AI adoption raises fresh professional liability questions, warns attorney-general

Dusuki Mokhtar, the attorney-general, has flagged emerging accountability gaps as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into professional decision-making across sectors ranging from law and medicine to finance and engineering.

Professionals must understand when to question AI-generated outputs and retain ultimate responsibility for their judgements, Mokhtar said, underlining that algorithmic recommendations cannot absolve practitioners of their duty of care to clients, patients or the public.

The cautionary remarks reflect growing recognition across South and Southeast Asia that existing professional liability frameworks may require refinement as AI systems become more prevalent in high-stakes fields. Courts and regulatory bodies have not yet fully addressed questions of apportionment when AI-assisted decisions produce harmful outcomes.

Malaysia's legal establishment is grappling with how traditional standards of professional conduct apply in contexts where human judgment is informed, augmented or partially replaced by machine learning systems. The challenge extends beyond legal services to other regulated professions where practitioners face standards of competence and care.

The attorney-general's intervention signals that professionals cannot adopt a defensive posture of deferring to AI systems when accountability is questioned, and that understanding the limitations and proper use of such tools must become part of professional competency itself.