By Dickson Woo, IBM Malaysia Managing Director and Technology Leader
As the nation celebrates Malaysia Day, it’s an ideal time to reflect on how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming business and society across all our country’s thirteen states and three federal territories.
A report from PWC has revealed that AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy in 2030, with $6.6 trillion likely to come from increased productivity.
Globally, AI is driving economies to stay competitive, and Malaysia is no exception. By leveraging AI, companies can analyse data more effectively, predict trends, and optimise workflows, leading to better strategic decisions and increased productivity. Whether it’s managing logistics or automating customer interactions, AI is revolutionising business practices across all sectors and segments.
IBM has played a significant role in empowering businesses in Malaysia to harness AI for greater efficiency. IBM has launched watsonx to help businesses harness GenAI, which will eventually help spur the Malaysian economy. Through the IBM watsonx platform, businesses will have access to the toolset, technology, infrastructure and consulting expertise to build their own available AI models and deploy them at scale in a more trustworthy and open environment to drive business success.
IBM collaborates with businesses in Malaysia on integrating AI into their workflows to enable simpler, automated processes, yielding productivity gains. Some key areas we’re focused on include:
- Customer care: Automating hundreds of thousands of call centre responses with AI with more than 90% accuracy and greater levels of customer satisfaction
- Digital labour: Helping finance, accounting, and HR teams save thousands of hours by automating what used to be labor-intensive, data-entry tasks
- IT operations: Delivering greater IT and network efficiency with AI-powered automation, and
- Cybersecurity: Deploying AI to defend against criminals in real-time.
This progress is further fuelled by government initiatives aimed at building a strong AI ecosystem. The Malaysian Government has been forward-thinking in laying the groundwork for AI’s growth.
National initiatives like the National AI Roadmap and ‘AI Untuk Rakyat’ ensure that both businesses and communities benefit from AI’s potential. By making AI knowledge widely accessible, the government is bridging the digital divide and ensuring that even the most remote areas of Malaysia are empowered by AI.
One of the key initiatives, the AI Nexus 2024 programme, is a significant step in Malaysia’s ambition to lead AI development in the region. This programme unites academia, industry, and government to create a robust ecosystem for AI research and development. The establishment of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Faculty of Artificial Intelligence further solidifies Malaysia’s commitment to cultivating AI talent.
At the heart of this vision is the need for a skilled workforce capable of driving AI adoption. Programmes like IBM’s SkillsBuild, in partnership with Politeknik Balik Pulau and the SOLS Foundation, are critical to equipping students, professionals and educators with the skills necessary to thrive in an AI-driven economy.
Through SkillsBuild, learners gain access to courses in AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing, with digital credentials recognised by employers, opening new career pathways. IBM has pledged to training 1 million women and girls across the Asia-Pacific region including Malaysia, over the next five years, with nearly 650,000 already benefiting. This initiative contributes to IBM’s global commitment to skilling 30 million people by 2030, helping create a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
Looking to the future, it’s clear that AI will continue to drive Malaysia’s digital transformation.
Through initiatives like watsonx and SkillsBuild, IBM is proud to support the nation’s journey toward leveraging AI for business success and workforce development.
As we reflect on what Malaysia Day truly means, we continue to recognise the combined efforts of government initiatives, industry partnerships and talent development that are positioning Malaysia to harness the full power of AI for economic growth, social progress and a brighter future.
This opinion piece was contributed by Dickson Woo, IBM Malaysia Managing Director and Technology Leader.
