Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo says the I’m AI READY movement aims to equip five million Malaysians with responsible AI skills by 2030 and mobilise RM50 million in scholarships.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should embrace artificial intelligence (AI) with confidence and equip themselves with the skills to use the technology responsibly as the country accelerates its digital transformation, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said.
He said the I’m AI READY movement, spearheaded by PEOPLElogy Bhd, aimed to reach five million Malaysians by 2030, ensuring that the benefits and opportunities created by AI were accessible to people from all walks of life.
Gobind was speaking at the opening of the I’m AI READY Summit, held at The Campus Ampang in conjunction with PEOPLElogy’s National AI Readiness Week 2026 (NAIRW 2026).
He said growing interest in AI must be accompanied by the ability to use the technology effectively, identify its limitations and exercise human judgement when making important decisions.
“An answer can sound convincing and still be wrong. The ability to question it is part of being ready,” he said.
Gobind also urged organisers to ensure that AI readiness assessments translated into relevant training opportunities and practical experience, with progress measured through the skills participants developed over time.
He called for continued collaboration with MyDIGITAL Corporation and AI Malaysia Bhd, while stressing the importance of handling personal data responsibly.
To encourage more Malaysians to develop their digital skills, Gobind highlighted free learning resources available through the Rakyat Digital portal, managed by MyDIGITAL Corporation.
Its Digital Literacy Hub offers self-paced courses covering introductory AI, generative AI, AI safety and cybersecurity, with several courses available in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil.
He encouraged those who were uncertain about learning AI to start with skills relevant to their daily lives rather than feeling pressured to master everything at once.
Also present at the event was Digital Ministry secretary-general Datuk Fabian Bigar.
In his address, PEOPLElogy founder and managing director Allen Lee said the country’s AI future would depend largely on how effectively it prepared its people for technological changes.
“Technology alone does not transform a nation. People do. And that is why we started the I’m AI READY movement,” he said.
Lee outlined four targets for the initiative: encouraging five million Malaysians to declare themselves AI-ready by 2030, mobilising an additional RM50 million in scholarships for at least 10,000 Malaysians, helping at least 10,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) adopt AI, and establishing an AI workforce alliance across Southeast Asia.
He said the movement aimed to extend its impact beyond Malaysia and contribute towards building an AI-ready ASEAN.
“AI transformation should not be a privilege reserved for large corporations. It must be accessible to businesses of every size,” he said.
The initiative will reach communities nationwide through campaigns, free seminars, workshops, online classes and community programmes.
Lee said that between 2017 and 2025, PEOPLElogy had worked with about 25 government agencies, foundations and enterprises to mobilise approximately RM70 million in scholarships.
The funding benefited nearly 15,000 Malaysians through its 6D Workforce Transformation Framework, with about 90% of participants reportedly better prepared for employment based on the company’s programme outcomes.
PEOPLElogy is also committing RM3 million in AI Mastery Scholarships to support the movement.
Lee urged Malaysians to view AI as an opportunity rather than a threat, calling on corporations, foundations, universities, non-governmental organisations and technology companies to contribute through scholarships, employee training and support for SMEs.
NAIRW 2026, themed “From AI Awareness to AI Readiness: A Purposeful Journey to Sustainable Employment”, continues with the I’m AI READY Summit until Nov 14.
The summit provides SMEs, entrepreneurs, students and workers with baseline AI-readiness assessments and personalised upskilling roadmaps.
It will be followed by the Build a Future Team (BAFT) Leaders Conference on Nov 17 and 18 at Marriott Petaling Jaya, bringing together senior human resources and information technology executives to discuss workforce planning in the AI era.
The programme will conclude with the Asia AI Excellence Awards 2026 Gala Dinner on Nov 18, which recognises organisations demonstrating achievements in AI adoption and responsible digital transformation.
The inaugural regional awards received more than 300 nominations, with entries assessed equally across five criteria: measurable outcomes, innovation, scale of adoption, cybersecurity and automation.
NAIRW 2026 serves as the flagship event of the I’m AI READY movement, bringing together government agencies, businesses, funders and impact partners in collaboration with MyDIGITAL Corporation.
