With Malaysia’s goal of becoming an AI-driven nation by 2030, this vision, in line with the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and the National AI Action Plan 2026–2030, moves past mere adoption alone. It reflects a broader ambition to transform AI consumers into creators, strengthen the national pool of AI talent, and ensure the responsible use of AI across industries.
As organizations undertake the development of an AI-enabled workforce, they are actively incorporating AI into their operations, performing assessments of AI readiness and capabilities, and ensuring these initiatives support their long-term business objectives. However, to achieve sustainable workforce transformation, the focus must extend beyond technology implementation towards leadership, digital literacy, and workforce enablement.
Our AI Talent Priorities for HR & Shared Services explores how AI intersects with and transforms the future of talent, leadership, and workforce transformation. Based on our roundtable discussion, this report brought together insights from 22 senior leaders who represented a broad spectrum of industries in the country. The report highlights how AI is reshaping operational needs and workforce transformation through three interconnected AI priorities, reinforcing that becoming a future-ready workforce requires a deliberate blend of human connection and artificial intelligence.
By placing human judgment at the core, human-AI productivity models hold the most promise – not only in accelerating delivery, but also in enhancing performance and enabling more outcome-based productivity.
