KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial intelligence (AI) does not pose a significant threat to society as it cannot fully replace human tasks, serving to complement the functions by enhancing speed, efficiency, and overall productivity in the workplace, according to experts.
They believe this aligns with previous assurances from technology experts and the government.
Dean of the School of Multimedia Technology and Communication at Universiti Utara Malaysia, Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Khairie Ahmad, noted that while jobs remain relevant amid AI’s evolving landscape, emphasis must be placed on investing in developing industry leaders and workers with enhanced skills to add value to AI integration.
He said skill mastery can reduce the likelihood of job losses in sectors previously considered highly vulnerable to AI.
“Routine and repetitive jobs or services are identified as being at risk of AI disruption. These include customer service, data entry clerks, telemarketing, accountants, medical analysts, legal researchers, as well as manufacturing roles such as production operators, quality inspectors, and administrative assistants,“ he told Bernama.
However, he said effective AI use and proper training on the technology given to workers represent the best synergy between humans and automation, leading to enhanced work quality and productivity.
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He was asked about findings from the Ipsos Predictions Survey 2025, conducted across 33 countries. The survey ranked Malaysia among the nations with the highest concerns over job losses due to AI.
According to the report, nearly 73 per cent of respondents in Malaysia believe AI will lead to significant job losses, compared to the global average of 65 per cent.
The concern arises following several reports on job risks due to AI, including a forecast by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which predicts that AI and automation could replace approximately 85 million jobs worldwide by 2025.
However, Mohd Khairie noted that many overlook the potential for new job opportunities created by AI, which will ultimately benefit a larger workforce.
“Interestingly, the WEF also estimates that AI will create around 97 million new jobs globally. As for Malaysia, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang previously stated that AI will impact 30 per cent of employment in the country over the next decade.
“However, the country is projected to require nearly 500,000 skilled workers in the technology and technical sectors. Because of this I see an urgent need for industry leaders and workers to upskill and reskill in AI to adapt to this technology,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Prof Dr Sawal Hamid Md Ali said many might not expect that low-skilled workers, often seen as highly vulnerable to job displacement, can adapt to the technology to enhance their work efficiency.
“For example, clerks can use AI to streamline their work, such as in drafting texts, letters, and other documents, and graphic designers can leverage the technology to generate initial drafts and use their creativity to refine them. The same applies to different sectors.
“The creative industry is said to be affected, which is debatable because human creativity holds greater value than AI-generated outputs. This technology serves merely as an alternative, to assist human tasks,“ he said.
The lecturer at the Engineering and Built Environment Faculty at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said the public should not worry about AI, as the technology is creating various new job opportunities.
“AI will create new opportunities in high-skilled fields such as automation system development, AI model creation, and big data collection to build highly accurate AI models,“ he added.
