Covering Disruptive Technology Powering Business in The Digital Age

Written by: Izzat Najmi Abdullah, Tech Journalist, AOPG.

AI has taken over the world!

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but these days, the news, particularly in the tech world, seems saturated with AI-related stories.

AI’s influence seems to permeate every facet of organisational and individual activity as every product is currently being AI-ised – from your everyday entertainment tech, like streaming platforms, all the way to those used by the government.

These recent developments beg the question: Are we witnessing a genuine revolution, or is the fervent adoption of AI merely a case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) that’s driving a tech gold rush?

In Malaysia, the government is undeniably recognising the potential of AI and has taken significant strides to position the nation as a regional AI leader. A prime example is the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Roadmap 2021-2025, which outlines a comprehensive strategy to harness AI for economic growth, social development, and good governance. To get there, there’s also the National AI Talent Roadmap 2024-2030, a six-year plan to cultivate a skilled workforce to unlock the potential of AI across various industries.

While these are ambitious national plans, the question remains: Can individual organisations effectively leverage AI, or will they be overwhelmed by its rapid advancement?

AI’s Role in Malaysia’s Economic Growth

Hemanta Banerjee, Vice President of Public Cloud Data Services at Rackspace Technology

In a recent interview with DTN, Hemanta Banerjee, Vice President of Public Cloud Data Services at Rackspace Technology, shared his insights on these questions and how artificial intelligence can drive Malaysia’s economic growth and national development.

Hemanta believes that AI is increasingly recognised as a powerful tool for economic growth, with many enterprises leveraging its capabilities to enhance productivity and innovation. He observed that the transformative power of AI is particularly evident in automation, where AI can streamline processes and reduce human effort.

He shared an example from one of their customers in the heavy engineering sector, where generative AI is used to validate design specifications, ensure safety compliance, and compare different versions of engineering drawings. “This does not eliminate the need for draftsmen, but it significantly reduces the time they spend on these tasks,” Hemanta said. “Instead of spending seven or eight hours, they can now do it in less than half an hour,” he continued.

Such automation examples illustrate how AI can drive productivity from simple tasks to complex models, offering substantial gains for businesses.

However, Hemanta also pointed out the importance of educating organisations about AI and data literacy to fully leverage these benefits. In order to have “good AI, you will need good data,” he said. Hemanta highlighted that quality data is essential not only for building accurate and unbiased AI models but also for making informed decisions. He noted that organisations that prioritise data quality and educate their teams on using data effectively see significant productivity gains. “By bringing in the right data and making the team more data-aware, it drives a lot of productivity,” he explained.

Talent Gap Remains a Problem

Implementing AI systems presents several challenges, both general and AI-specific. The Rackspace executive explained that, like any other IT system, AI implementation is an iterative process that requires a clear understanding of business processes and value drivers. “It’s never a big bang,” he said. “It takes multiple iterations to understand the business process, get a clear understanding of the value drivers, and identify where AI can have the most benefit.”

Moreover, the maturity of AI technology varies across different applications. While machine learning models for tasks like sales forecasting have been around for a long time and are reliable, newer AI applications, such as customer service bots, are still maturing. Hemanta advised caution in deploying AI technologies that might pose reputational risks if not fully developed.

But when you are talking about adopting any sort of IT system within the Southeast Asian region, in particular, the question of the talent gap always arises. Nevertheless, despite it being A problem, it is not THE problem as Hemanta is very optimistic about Malaysia’s future, noting that a talent gap exists across all tech fields, including AI and even security. He stated that Malaysian universities now integrate digital literacy and programming into various curriculums, whether it’s accounting, business, computer science, or engineering. This foundational knowledge will, over time, lead to a generation that is more AI-literate.

“Someone who studied accounting today will have a reasonable understanding of how to apply data skills and AI practices later in their profession,” said Hemanta.

“If you take that generation and extrapolate out a decade, you will have people in business, running functional areas like HR, accounting, supply chain operations, who are AI literate,” he added.

AI for Growth, Not Job Displacement

He also suggested that if we really want to accelerate further, the development of AI talent, government policies, and support incentives could just do that. Programs offering career changers training and apprenticeships would help bridge the gap and prepare the workforce for the AI-driven future.

These policies are great initiatives because they promote a tripartite effort to raise digital awareness. The government can support digital literacy initiatives, educational institutions can provide the right curriculum, and organisations can drive data literacy internally. These frameworks will support the overall growth of data and AI awareness, educating people on the possibilities and benefits of AI.

Hemanta was also in full support of Malaysia’s AI roadmap initiatives, such as the AI Roadmap Malaysia and the AI Talent Roadmap for 2024 to 2030. As he stated, “These programs support the overall growth of data and AI by educating people about the possibilities of AI, and I think it will have a tremendous impact in the coming years.”

Looking ahead, Hemanta is excited about AI’s potential to transform Malaysia’s economy and society. Although there are people who remain sceptical of AI and worry that this technology will somehow take away their jobs, Hemanta dismisses these concerns. He said that, while AI may eliminate some routine or mundane jobs, it will open up many new and exciting opportunities, similar to how the Industrial Revolution transformed labour.

“AI’s potential to automate routine tasks allows organisations to focus on core business strategies and differentiation. This can lead to business growth and the creation of more high-paying, intellectually stimulating jobs,” underscored Hemanta.

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