Malaysia’s Zetrix Launches NurAI, an AI Chatbot for Muslim Users Built on Chinese Open-Source Tech

A Malaysian tech company is taking artificial intelligence in a new direction by blending AI with cultural and religious guidance for Muslim users. Zetrix AI Bhd has partnered with China’s DeepSeek to create NurAI, a large language model (LLM) designed specifically for Muslim-majority markets.

The chatbot communicates in Malay, Indonesian, Arabic, and English, offering guidance on topics ranging from dining choices to legal issues, all based on Sharia principles. In the coming months, Zetrix plans to add AI avatars of Islamic scholars to provide lifestyle, health, and finance advice rooted in Islamic teachings.

NurAI’s responses are shaped by Sharia, the Islamic legal system that covers everything from meal preparation to banking. By combining DeepSeek’s open-source AI technology with Zetrix’s local cultural expertise, the platform aims to serve the global Muslim population of about 2 billion people.

The chatbot will follow a freemium model; it will be free for basic use, with subscription options priced between $5 and $50 per month for personalised services. Zetrix hopes this will draw in many users in regions where smartphone adoption is high but incomes are lower.

Beyond Everyday Advice

Zetrix also has long-term plans to integrate NurAI into Malaysia’s Sharia-based court system, automating administrative tasks and reducing backlogs.

This launch comes as Muslim-majority nations tighten data privacy and AI ethics rules. Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2024 requires breach notifications and stricter controls on cross-border data transfers. Saudi Arabia’s SDAIA Ethics Principles state that AI systems must align with Islamic values.

NurAI Vs Mainstream Chatbots like ChatGPT

While global AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude focus on general knowledge and language tasks, they are not built with specific cultural or religious compliance in mind. This can lead to answers that unintentionally conflict with religious guidelines.

NurAI, in contrast, is trained and filtered to ensure all its responses follow Sharia principles. It also uses localised data from Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Muslim-majority countries to make its advice relevant to the target audience. Where ChatGPT might provide generic solutions, NurAI aims to deliver culturally sensitive, faith-based recommendations. This is something Western AI tools often struggle to achieve.

A Growing Trend in AI Localisation

The Zetrix–DeepSeek partnership highlights how cross-border collaborations are becoming vital for AI adoption in emerging markets. Chinese companies offer powerful, low-cost AI models, while local partners ensure cultural fit and compliance. 

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