KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must develop the capabilities, talent and ecosystem needed to move beyond being a consumer of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and become an active contributor to the AI revolution, says Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
Speaking at the launch of AI Malaysia Takeover 2026, Gobind said Malaysia’s ambition to become an AI Nation by 2030 must be underpinned by people equipped not only to understand and use AI, but also to create and build with the technology.
“Technology, no matter how powerful, does not transform a country on its own. Its true impact depends on how people understand it, how confidently they use it, and ultimately, what they can create with it,” he said.
Gobind said Malaysia could not afford to remain a passive consumer of technologies developed elsewhere, particularly as AI continues to reshape economies and societies around the world.
“We must build the capabilities to participate actively in the AI revolution – not only as users, but as innovators, creators and builders,” he said.
The government, Gobind said, was putting in place the necessary building blocks to achieve this ambition through the Malaysia Digital Action Plan 2030 (MD2030) and the National AI Action Plan 2026-2030.
He highlighted the establishment of AI Malaysia, which will strengthen the national AI ecosystem by bringing together the government, industry, academia and the technology community.
“Taken together, these initiatives are about ensuring that Malaysia is not simply a consumer of AI technologies developed elsewhere, but that we have the capabilities, talent and ecosystem to create and build with AI ourselves,” he said.
Gobind said Malaysia’s efforts to build an AI-ready population must go beyond teaching people how to use AI, with greater emphasis on enabling Malaysians to apply the technology to solve problems and create value.
“Malaysia cannot be content with being a nation of AI users. We must also develop our own innovators, creators and builders. Put simply, we need more AI Builders,” he said.
He said an AI Builder could be anyone who can identify a problem, understand how AI can be applied to address it, and turn an idea into a product, service or practical solution that creates value in Malaysia, across Asean and the world.
Gobind said this required Malaysia to broaden the pathways through which Malaysians could acquire relevant skills and experience, complementing traditional education with short courses, industry certifications, bootcamps, hackathons, peer learning and apprenticeships.
“In the AI economy, what you can do – and what you can build – will increasingly matter alongside the qualifications you hold,” he said.
Gobind said the government also had an important role to play in ensuring AI was accessible to as many Malaysians as possible.
This is the thinking behind the expansion of Rakyat Digital, the government’s online learning platform launched in January 2024 to make digital knowledge and skills more accessible to Malaysians.
The expanded Rakyat Digital ecosystem will bring AI and digital learning to the masses through more accessible and flexible pathways, centred around three priorities: Awareness, Access and Adoption (3As).
Gobind said this was why initiatives such as AI Malaysia Takeover 2026 were important and why the Digital Ministry was pleased to support the event.
He noted that the programme’s Malaysian AI Learn-a-thon had already attracted more than 1,000 registrations, providing aspiring AI Builders with a hands-on opportunity to learn how to build with AI.
Participants will work with AI tools, tackle real-world challenges and turn ideas into practical solutions.
“This is exactly the kind of learning-by-doing that we want to encourage as we develop the next generation of AI talent in Malaysia,” he said.
“Some of Malaysia’s next great digital solutions – and perhaps our next generation of digital companies – may not begin in a large corporation or a sophisticated laboratory. They may begin with a young Malaysian, a laptop, access to the right tools and a problem worth solving.”
Gobind said Malaysia’s success in becoming an AI Nation should ultimately not be measured by the number of platforms or programmes launched, but by their impact on Malaysians.
He said this would be reflected in the skills Malaysians acquire, the solutions they build, the businesses they create and the value they contribute to the economy, society and country.
“That is how Malaysia moves from being a consumer of the AI revolution to becoming an active contributor to it. That is how we build an AI Nation that is inclusive, competitive and driven by Malaysian talent, creativity and innovation,” he said.
“An AI Nation that is not only powered by technology, but ultimately, powered by Malaysians.”
