HONG KONG, Aug. 20 -- Imagine waking up and your kopi-o is already brewing because your artificial intelligence (AI) assistant knows you had a late night.

It booked your e-hailing ride to the train station, reminded you to top up your e-wallet and even suggested an umbrella because rain clouds over Bangsar are moving in faster than expected.

AI is no longer just a buzzword. Across Asia, the technology is already woven into daily life - and Malaysia is only beginning to catch up.

But what exactly is AI?

At its simplest, AI refers to computer systems that can perform tasks which typically require human intelligence - such as understanding language, recognising images, solving problems and learning from data.

Unlike traditional software...