One in five Malaysian workers use AI frequently, if not daily, at work, but a much higher proportion are slow to adopt it, according to a new Randstad survey.
In a survey of 2,500 Malaysian workers, Randstad found that one in three workers in the country has a “significant exposure gap” when it comes to AI skills development. I never have 1 in 10 people used AI tools, 1 in 10 people used AI alone one time.
AI is impacting the way work gets done in Malaysia
Among those who use AI regularly, younger workers are more likely to embrace emerging technologies, with Gen Z (36%) and Millennial (24%) workers using AI to enhance their daily work.
This trend is part of a larger generational divide: Among those who have not yet used AI tools, 42% are Gen Xers and 73% are Baby Boomers.
However, despite limited exposure to real-world AI tools, 81% of Malaysian workers understand that emerging technologies will have a significant impact on their careers.
Percentage of workers who believe AI will impact their jobs:
74% of Gen Z
73% of millennials
71% of Gen Xers
Malaysians have positive outlook for AI adoption
All this means that Malaysian employers still have a long way to go to bridge the gap between their employees' understanding of AI and how it is implemented, and the survey results suggest that employers need to create opportunities for their employees to thrive in this time of change.
In fact, 10% of workers surveyed by Randstad said they lacked opportunities to develop in their role, and without opportunities to upskill and progress in their careers, employees are twice as likely to leave.
But despite the current gap in exposure and skills, 45% of people expect AI to improve their job satisfaction. “People who are already using AI and those with higher education levels are particularly optimistic that AI will improve their job satisfaction,” Randstad said.
“AI technologies will continue to transform skills needs and the workforce structure,” said Fahad Naeem, country director at Randstad Malaysia.
“Investing in human resource development will help organisations hire skilled talent and attract more people to work in Malaysia.”
Naeem noted that as expectations for AI adoption grow, workers will be thinking about how this emerging technology will impact their careers and the future of work overall. The country director recommended empowering employees to learn as much as possible about the new tools.
“Early exposure to new technologies can enhance employees' career prospects and foster skill development within the organization,” Naeem said. “Given the rapid and massive advancements in AI, employers should strive to help upskill their employees through AI integration.”
