Ironically they, like fellow Southeast Asians, also tend to put more trust in AI than their counterparts in the developed markets, according to a recent survey by global market research company Ipsos.
The survey shows that 68% of Malaysians believe they know which types of products and services use AI, despite the fact that fewer of them – 65% to be exact – profess a good understanding of the technology.
In comparison, only 35% to 43% of Americans, Japanese, Australians and Britons believe they know what products and services use AI. The Americans were those who scored only 35%, putting them at the bottom of the table.
The global average on this score is 51%.
Malaysians also lead in the fear factor. A total of 55% of those surveyed admitted that AI made them nervous, compared with the Southeast Asia average of 53% and the global country average of 52%.
The survey also shows that Malaysians are most fearful about losing their jobs to AI. A total of 81% of them agree that AI will change how they do their current jobs while 62% believe AI will soon replace them at their workplace.
In comparison, 78% of Southeast Asians believe AI will have an impact on their jobs, while the global average in this category is 57%.
Among those who fear they will lose their jobs to AI, the Southeast Asian average is 58% and the global average is only 36%.
Despite their fears, Malaysians and their Southeast Asian counterparts are also more trusting of AI.
A total of 71% of Southeast Asians and 69% of Malaysians believe products and services that use AI come with more benefits than drawbacks, compared with 54% globally.
Similarly, 78% of Southeast Asians and an equal proportion of Malaysians believe that products and services that employ AI will “profoundly change” their daily life in the next three to five years. The global average is 66%.
Finally, 67% of Southeast Asians and 70% of Malaysians surveyed said they trusted companies that use AI as much as they trusted other companies. The global average here is 52%.
By and large, more than half of Malaysians covered in the survey believe AI improves time management and efficiency, entertainment options, the economy, health and their jobs.
Malaysians, like other Asians, have a more positive attitude towards AI as well as products and services associated with it, according to Azamat Ababakirov, senior research manager at Ipsos public affairs.
The fact that many are also nervous about AI shows that all the excitement about the technology is balanced out with “an anxious restraint” about fundamental changes it can bring to daily life in Malaysia, he added.
A total of 22,816 adults under the age of 75 across 31 countries were interviewed from May 26 to June 9, 2023 for this survey.
In several countries, such as Brazil, Indonesia as well as Malaysia, those covered were more urban, more highly educated and more affluent than the general population.