CYBERJAYA – The Sebenarnya.my chatbot was launched today to combat fake news and enable users to verify unverified news online.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Sebenarnya.my chatbot, also known as the artificial intelligence fact-check assistant (Aifa), is spearheaded by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and developed through a strategic partnership, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
He explained that Aifa also serves to enhance the functions of the Sebenarnya.my portal with three main objectives.
According to Fahmi, the goals are to help the public quickly and easily verify accurate information, expedite responses to false information online, and strengthen the role of Sebenarnya.my in tackling the spread of fake news in Malaysia.
“Aifa is an important tool to empower the public with verified information from authoritative sources and mitigate the harmful impact of fake news,” he said during the chatbot launch here today.
“With this facility, MCMC offers the public an easy, fast, and reliable way to verify the information they receive or encounter online,” he added.
Also present at the event was MCMC chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din.
Aifa is designed to be user-friendly and accessible 24/7 through the portal https://sebenarnya.my/ and the WhatsApp platform which can be reached with this number: +60 3-8688 7997. It uses algorithms and machine learning to match information with reliable sources, delivering accurate and authentic information to users quickly.
The chatbot is available in four languages: Malay, English, Mandarin, and Tamil, ensuring accessibility for a diverse range of users.
Additionally, Fahmi mentioned that currently, Aifa only accepts text inputs, but it will soon be expanded to accept other formats such as video in the future.
“I have asked MCMC to extend the use of Aifa, firstly within the Madani Community under the Information Department, and secondly through the more than 1,000 National Information Dissemination Centres (Nadi), which have 1.3 million Nadi members,” he said.
On the issue of fake news content, he said that so far this year, MCMC has requested the removal of 1,575 fake news contents, and of this number, 1,233 have been removed by the relevant platforms after being verified as false.
“In 2024, MCMC requested the removal of 19,546 fake news contents from various online platforms, and of this, 17,245 were removed after being confirmed as fake news by all the involved platforms,” he added. – January 28, 2025