KUALA LUMPUR: The Digital Ministry has trained 200 individuals from various ministries and agencies through the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ programme to empower civil servants in the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
In a statement, the ministry said the initiative, a key component of the ‘AI At Work 2.0’ programme, was held in Putrajaya on March 3 to 7 to enable civil servants to utilise AI in their daily tasks, including to generate content, analyse data and summarise information more efficiently.
Through collaboration with Google Cloud, the National Digital Department (JDN) and the National AI Office (NAIO), the initiative aims to equip 445,000 public officers with Google Workspace’s latest generative AI suite, Gemini, to improve service delivery and enhance productivity.
“In the programme conducted last year with 270 public officers from JDN, 91 per cent of them reported saving an average 3.25 hours per week and saw how generative AI tools had enhanced their quality of work, thus spurring the government to expand the programme and ensure widespread AI adoption across government agencies,” the statement read.
It added that the initiative is crucial for driving positive transformation within an organisation and aligns with the government’s broader digitalisation agenda and national AI and digital economy goals.
A participant, senior principal assistant secretary at the Digital Ministry, Dr Sheila Mahalingam, said AI has significantly transformed her workflow by automating repetitive tasks, allowing her to focus more on strategic thinking.
Head of JDN Integrity Unit, Mohd Fazli Sahari, said that AI has enabled him to leverage broader data sources, allowing him to access and process the latest articles, journals and sources faster.
Meanwhile, senior assistant director of JDN Human Resources Department, Chor Yee Reen, was initially skeptical about AI tools but soon discovered she could save time by using transcription and translation features for summarising documents.
The ‘Train-the-Trainer’ programme brings together IT administrators in JDN’s MyGovUC unit, who now serve as AI trainers in their respective departments.
