KUALA LUMPUR: KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian workers equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) skills and expertise could experience salary increases exceeding 40 percent, says Amazon Web Services (AWS), a company of Amazon.com.
According to AWS' regional study titled "Accelerating AI Skills: Preparing the Asia-Pacific Workforce for Jobs of the Future," nearly nine out of 10 (89 per cent) Malaysian employers prioritise hiring AI-skilled talent.
The study, which surveyed over 1,600 workers and 500 employers in Malaysia, underscores the country's rapid AI transformation.
Ninety per cent of employers anticipate their companies evolving into AI-driven organisations by 2028.
The study also reveals that while most employers (96 per cent) anticipate their IT departments benefiting the most, they also foresee significant value being driven from AI across various departments, including business operations (95 per cent), research and development (94 per cent), sales and marketing (94 per cent), finance (93 per cent), human resources (89 per cent), and legal (88 per cent).
However, despite the high demand for AI talent, 81 per cent of employers reported difficulty finding the necessary expertise, while 80 per cent admitted to lacking knowledge on how to establish AI workforce training programs.
In addition to substantial salary increases, 97 per cent of Malaysian workers anticipate that their AI proficiency will positively impact their careers, leading to improved job efficiency, increased job satisfaction, and accelerated career advancement.
A significant 91 per cent of workers expressed interest in honing their AI skills to expedite their professional growth.
Rsearch suggests that the productivity gains from having an AI-competent workforce could be substantial for Malaysia.
Employers foresee a 57 perc ent increase in organisational productivity, attributed to AI technologies improving workflow and outcomes (76 per cent), fostering the acquisition of new skills (66 per cent), and enhancing communication (65 per cent). Workers themselves believe that AI could boost their productivity by up to 57 per cent.
Emmanuel Pillai, head of training and certification for ASEAN at AWS, emphasised the essentiality of AI skills for the future workforce.
"From financial services to construction and retail, industries are embracing AI at a rapid pace, which is why an AI-skilled workforce is essential to unleashing a culture of innovation and driving productivity," he said in a statement.
Abhineet Kaul, director at Access Partnership, said the AI wave is sweeping across the Asia-Pacific region, including Malaysia, transforming the way businesses operate and how people work.
"Our research shows that society as a whole will benefit from an increased productivity boost, which will translate into higher salaries for skilled workers."
