The current pandemic has tested us all in every way but it has also shown its real resourcefulness, particularly in the world of technology – like it or not, it is the current (life saving) communication link for most of us as we live with lockdowns and travel restrictions. According to an article published in March 2021 in technology magazine, Backlinko, web-chat app, Zoom (launched in 2013) was downloaded 485 million times in 2020, with currently 300 million daily meeting participants, both free and fee paying. Similarly, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) world is also developing apace to help us work, rest and play “smarter”.

AI and IoT at Jenexus

Building on, and creating their own technological advancements are Jenexus Code Vision Sdn Bhd (established in 2019) and Jenexus Holdings Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian tech company established to focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Both companies are subsidiaries of Jenexus Corporate Sdn Bhd. Just to provide a brief explanation, AI is all about building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence or put another way, it’s getting machines to simulate human intelligence; and IoT is all about the network of physical objects that have sensors, software and other technologies within them from phones to security systems to home appliances.

Rex Tan, Application Development Director at Jenexus started his interest in AI development in 2009 whilst still at university working on a car plate recognition project. This is a life-long interest because Rex has been working to refine and advance car plate recognition AI technology at Jenexus, which he believes to be life changing because we are on the cusp of this technology having a big impact. Jenexus, a cloud- based platform, provides an intelligent data maintenance service, amongst other things; and is passionate about researching and refining AI software development. Rex is careful about what he calls smart technology. Programming your air-condition to come on at 7pm so that the home is cool for your impending return is not what Rex would call smart because he says that we simply schedule this to happen. What is smart is your home “knowing” that your car is not home and therefore not switching the air-conditioning on, in order to conserve energy. Rex says that Malaysia is well advanced in AI technology, used mainly by businesses for the moment rather than in individual households – for example, the widely used AI in CCTVs around the country.

AI in License Plate Recognition

Jenexus is currently working on car plate vehicle detection and face recognition projects. The video monitoring solutions provide real time monitoring and all the objects detected will be stored as images automatically. AI face recognition, according to Jenexus strengthens security measures for companies (traceable by the exact date and time), reduces the number of touch points, makes visitor management more efficient and improves thermal health detection, a necessity these days. The test pilot for the car plate detection AI software was trialled at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre car park in 2020, for the reserved, VIP or disabled parking solutions, for user safety and to help with general security.

Thanks to advancements in AI, license plate recognition technology can do more than read license plates, providing better quality sensors and picture images. As well as providing parking solutions, the AI technology could also help law enforcement by providing better accuracy licence plate information, make, model and colour of the vehicle all captured at a specific time period. The improved computer vision capabilities make it easier to identify things in the images, thus providing valuable information to the police. But the changes and capabilities don’t have to stop there –at some point it may even be able to be used for facial recognition, whether the people in the car are wearing seatbelts or even if someone is using a mobile phone while driving.

Creating AI Talent for Tomorrow

Jenexus sees that AI is here to stay and there is still much to mine in this technology. As Rex says, “there is still space for the technology to get much smarter. In the not-toodistant future, we can be looking at machines, regardless of brands, talking to each other to make our daily life easier. Fridges can hook up with our preferred online shopping company to order your groceries or your car notifying you and your mechanic that the service is due on your car.” To this end, Jenexus has its eye on the future generation of AI talent and entered into a partnership (in June 2020) with Huawei Malaysia and Chung Hwa Independent High School in Kuala Lumpur to provide training to the high school students.

This tri-partite collaboration is part of Huawei’s AI Talent Development Ecosystem Programme and Jenexus’ CSR programme. This hands-on training gives the children the opportunity to learn about and play with the AI technology to develop interest and eventually to seek out future talent. The impact of school closures due to the pandemic has unfortunately interrupted this programme and put it on hold, but it will restart when the schools reopen.

I came to the interview thinking that AI is science fiction robots which couldn’t be further from the truth because in reality, the technology can improve many daily processes, allowing us to get more done in less time. I can see that AI is a massive market and the technology is improving all the time, thanks to Malaysian organisations like Jenexus.

rex@codevision.my