Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan advises Malaysians to embrace AI as a productivity tool rather than a job threat as workplace technology advances.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to complement human capabilities rather than view it solely as a threat to jobs, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
He said workers needed to develop AI skills and understand how to use the technology effectively as it becomes increasingly integrated into the workplace.
“AI can do the work, but who provides the input for it to do the work? We do. That is why we also need to learn AI,” he said when officiating MyBakat Week 2026 by TalentCorp here today.
Ramanan said TalentCorp’s Jelajah AI MyMahir programme had provided 22,000 free training places to help Malaysians acquire practical AI skills.
He said the initiative was part of the government’s broader efforts to prepare Malaysians for an increasingly AI-driven economy.
TalentCorp had previously said the RM110 million collaboration with Ernst & Young Consulting Sdn Bhd (EY Malaysia) was expected to benefit about 22,000 Malaysians nationwide.
Ramanan said the programme had attracted participants from various age groups, including children, adults and housewives, reflecting the growing relevance of AI skills across society.
He also cautioned Malaysians against using AI tools such as ChatGPT merely to copy and reproduce information without understanding the content.
“It must be a knowledge-building process, not a knowledge-copying process,” he said.
Ramanan said Malaysians must continuously upgrade their skills to remain relevant as technology and workplace requirements continue to evolve.
He also said AI would continue to transform the job market across sectors as the technology becomes increasingly integrated into workplaces, changing existing roles and creating new employment opportunities.
“AI does not affect just one segment; it affects all segments. There will be supply and demand. There will be loss of jobs and there will be jobs being created,” he said.
Ramanan said people should not focus solely on jobs that could be displaced by AI but also consider new employment opportunities created by the technology.
He said more than 400,000 job opportunities were currently available through MYFutureJobs, while 169,000 jobs were filled nationwide through the portal last year.
He said the figure included people who had lost their jobs, those entering the job market for the first time and those actively seeking employment.
On concerns over a mismatch between graduates’ skills and employers’ expectations, Ramanan said the issue should not be viewed as a widespread problem, pointing to the employability and employer satisfaction rates recorded by TVET institutions under the ministry.
“We have TVET institutions with around 90,000 to 100,000 students. The number keeps growing, with 33 campuses around the country and three satellite campuses.
“We also have a partner university in Japan, and they have a 95.5% employability rate, while employer satisfaction stands at 97.2%,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that some industries, particularly technology, could have a skills gap among fresh graduates.
“That is where we are coming in. We are giving them the additional help which is required,” he said.
