Researchers from the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data (AIBIG) at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) have secured funding from the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to lead pioneering research into the application of artificial intelligence within financial investment. This initiative aims to deepen industry understanding and establish a primary national reference through collaboration with Malaysian universities and investment agencies.

The initiative is structured around three core projects involving the Business Datalytics Research Interest Group (RIG) at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam and the Machine Intelligence Research Group (MIRG) at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA). Together, these institutions have formed the Artificial Intelligence in Financial Investment Research Consortium (AIFIC).

AIFIC is a newly established consortium dedicated to advancing AI applications in financial investment, a sector often overlooked in tech integration. The work will build a technical foundation and a collaborative framework involving international research centers and local Malaysian investment agencies. Beyond improving scientific capabilities, the consortium was founded to bridge policy gaps identified in several Malaysian national policies.

The ultimate goal of the consortium is to produce a national-level reference guideline. This document will assist practitioners and investment agencies in harnessing AI to enhance decision-making through data-driven research.

Each partner institution brings a specific focus to the consortium:

• UMK will develop an AI framework for stock market prediction using sentiment analysis.
• UMPSA will focus on optimizing investment portfolios using the latest methodologies.
• UiTM will concentrate on advanced risk assessment.

Together, these projects leverage the latest AI algorithms and techniques to modernize financial investment strategies.

The two-year project is scheduled to run from January 2026 through December 2027. During this period, the consortium hopes to engage new partners, increase cross-sector collaboration, and serve as a pivotal reference point for the nation.

"Artificial Intelligence has been adopted for multidisciplinary research in many sectors, but it remains challenging to integrate into financial investment due to a shortage of experts with a strong foundation in both fields," said Associate Professor Dr. Muhammad Akmal, Director of AIBIG and lead of the consortium.

"Our approach is multidisciplinary, covering scientific research, platform development, industrial practice, and the establishment of formal reference guidelines."