Study: 44% in MY use gen AI monthly, surpassing global averages of 39%

Around 60% of Malaysians are trying to adopt gen AI into their work or personal life. In fact, 44% of them use gen AI monthly, a figure that slightly surpasses the global average of 39%. The high adoption rate in Malaysia can be attributed to the national artificial intelligence roadmap 2021 to 2025, which promotes AI use across various sectors. 

The top sectors where gen AI is most utilised include digitalisation, data science and AI (71%), IT (63%) and marketing and media sectors (60%). This is according to a recent study by Jobstreet by SEEK titled "Decoding global talent report 2024: gen AI edition".

AI adoption remains lower in the transport, logistics and supply chain (36%) sectors, legal and law (34%) and services and hospitality (32%) industries. 

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However, the frequency of gen AI use varies significantly among different age groups. Younger individuals aged 18 to 24 are 50% more likely to use gen AI regularly as compared to those over 45. This highlights easier tech adoption amongst the younger generation. 

In their personal lives, Malaysians are predominantly using gen AI for accessing factual information (58%), skill development (51%) and language translation (40%). 37% are relying on AI to solve general problems and seek advice, exceeding regional and global averages. 

Despite these trends, a notable 40% of Malaysians remain unfamiliar with gen AI, indicating significant potential for increasing awareness and usage. 

Concerns and impact of AI

As AI integration accelerates, 79% of Malaysian professionals foresee changes in their roles, with 28% expecting significant transformations that could threaten job security. 

Professionals in sectors such as digitalisation, AI and public service express the most concern (34%), while 33% of workers in legal and healthcare fields believe their jobs will remain largely unaffected due to the lower necessity of gen AI adoption in their work. 

As such, half of the workforce expects a need for upskilling with 21% foreseeing substantial job changes requiring new skillsets. In response, 57% of professionals are open to retraining to stay competitive, while only 5% fear their jobs may completely disappear due to gen AI. 

Roadblocks in using gen AI

According to the study, the biggest dissatisfactions among talent in Malaysia centres on the difficulty in writing prompts (55%) and the availability or credibility of data (23%).

Many Malaysians find writing prompts more challenging as compared to their Southeast Asian and global peers, potentially limiting the effective use of gen AI. This is despite strong interest, said the study. 

Consequently, many Malaysians want to know which skills they need to learn and seek better learning programmes to enhance their gen AI usage. 55% of Malaysians want clear guidance from employers on the skills needed for the future, while 23% seek more accessible learning programmes and courses.

Additionally, 14% would appreciate financial support for training, while other needs include more time for upskilling (8%), employer support (8%), reliable internet access (8%), and government support (8%). This presents an opportunity for businesses or the government to provide targeted training and support. 

AI has been fast on the rise in Malaysia. In a conversation with A+M earlier this year, Sandeep Mark Joseph, CEO and co-founder of Ampersand Advisory said that the future of AI in Malaysia is "undeniable". "Global Malaysian-owned companies such as YTL are also taking the lead, forming partnerships with Nvidia and others, investing US$400 million in data centres in Johor," added Joseph.

Meanwhile, Ambrish Chaudhry, head of strategy, Southeast Asia and India, said at the time that AI is poised for strong growth in Malaysia.

"It is becoming an attractive destination for tech talent and the government is focusing on driving things forward. Malaysia is increasingly attracting a growing base of talent at home, talent coming back to the country and expat talent working with some of the largest global and home-based companies," said Chaudhry. 

He added that AI technology is already finding its way into home grown digital banks, and it is likely to only grow from strength to strength. "When you look at the confluence of talent, government will and private sector partnerships; AI is poised for strong growth in Malaysia," he added. 

Milind, ai scientist at Mercedes who was expressing independent views said that changes driven by AI will be felt across all countries, and not just Malaysia.

"What I can say is that developments in AI technology and capabilities will have a large impact on organisations, industries and society. In fact, the main reason why I go and speak at events is to try and increase awareness of this fast-approaching change and how to try and prepare for it," said Milind in conversation with A+M earlier this year.

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