Malaysia’s Zetrix AI launches first Shariah-aligned large language model

Zetrix AI Bhd, formerly known as MY EG Services Bhd, has unveiled NurAI, a Shariah-aligned large language model (LLM), which brings Islamic ethics into the realm of artificial intelligence.

Launched at the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur and officiated by Deputy prime minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the platform is designed to deliver guidance consistent with Islamic values across fields, including finance, law, healthcare, education, and daily lifestyle. “This is a prime example of how we can harmonise religion and technology for the benefit of the ummah and the advancement of the nation. I call on all parties—government, private sector, financial institutions, and religious bodies—to support its development and expansion,” Zahid said at the launch.

Built on China’s open-source DeepSeek model with technical input from Chinese researchers under the ASEAN–China AI Lab initiative, NurAI offers services in Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, and English. It aims to provide culturally relevant, faith-compliant assistance for Muslim-majority markets, starting with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, which has a combined population of 340 million.

An important feature of NurAI is its planned AI Avatar channels, which will simulate interactions with Islamic scholars and subject experts. These avatars, trained on exclusive datasets, will provide personalised advice on topics ranging from inheritance law and Islamic finance to medical bioethics. Zetrix AI has partnered with institutions including INCEIF University, an affiliate of Bank Negara Malaysia, to ensure financial services channels meet scholarly standards.

The system is guided by a formal Shariah Supervisory Board and works with leading religious bodies such as JAKIM in Malaysia, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, and Egypt’s Al-Azhar University. Future updates will expand coverage across different madhhabs (Islamic schools of thought).

Fadzli Shah, co-founder and head of AI development at Zetrix AI, said the project addresses a critical gap in global AI development. “Current models are shaped by Western and Chinese contexts. With two billion Muslims and a $3 trillion Islamic economy, there is clear demand for AI tools aligned with Islamic perspectives and Global South priorities,” he explained.

Available via the App Store, Google Play, and browsers, NurAI is initially rolling out as a freemium consumer app, with premium tools such as inheritance calculators to follow. In its second phase, Zetrix AI plans to integrate the platform into financial institutions, halal certification bodies, and government agencies.