Rosalina Abdul Sala, a computer science lecturer at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), said the government should capitalise on the widespread use of digital devices among children by having them being able to fully utilise it for their studies instead of other activities, such as video games and social media apps.

“(The government should) take immediate steps to introduce subjects that use the latest computing technology and utilise key AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bing, and Google Bard. The content should be up-to-date as well,” Rosalina told FMT.

“For kindergarten children, we should spark their interest with interactive methods, virtual assistants, and robotics.”

She expected the demand for AI-related jobs to grow rapidly within the next five years and said the lack of preparation for AI-related proficiencies at the primary school level will hinder the country’s ability to produce skilled AI professionals and that it could impact job demands.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Pahang’s computer science lecturer Syafiq Fauzi Kamarulzaman said that a promising career in the field of AI with a decent income should motivate students to pursue studies in the field.

“Graduates can be offered jobs with salaries of up to RM6,000 in local firms, depending on the students’ programming competencies,” he told FMT.

“As more machines adopt AI technology, more administrators, engineers, and technicians (with AI-related skills) are needed to meet the requirements of management, maintenance, and repair.”

Last month, the Malaysian Employers Federation’s (MEF) president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said AI can be utilised to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in improving operational efficiency.