KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Microsoft have joined hands to explore Artificial Intelligence's (AI) potential to enhance Malaysians employability.

A month after Microsoft announced its US$2.2 billion investment to support Malaysia's digital transformation, MCMC and Microsoft Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which will explore the socioeconomic benefits of AI, including efforts to prepare the future workforce with AI knowledge and digital skills.

This collaboration will also see MCMC pioneering the adoption of AI by using Microsoft software, as well implementing responsible usage of AI.

At the same time, the agency also launched capacity-building programme MCMC Microsoft AI Teach: Skills for AI-enabled Economy programme aimed at enhance skills and employability, particularly for marginalised and vulnerable communities.

Previously, Microsoft said its US$2.2 billion investment over the next four years to empower Malaysia with cloud and AI infrastructure will also mean creating AI skilling opportunities for an additional 200,000 people in the country.

The company's skilling commitment includes providing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) students with AI skills through the AI Teach program.

In early June, MCMC conducted the pilot AI Teach program where it saw 151 participants successfully complete the training which include individuals from persons with disabilities organisations and and youth from various PPR projects.

The MCMC Microsoft AI Teach programme focuses on four main modules namely introduction to AI, introduction to generative AI, uses of AI to increase marketability and ethical use of AI.

Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the programmr will be implemented through National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) where it will focus on 1,600 participants first before increasing the number.

In Malaysia, he said the program aims to benefit 1,200 TVET teaching staff in collaboration with several strategic partners including the Malaysian TVET Council, the Department of Manpower and the Social Security Organization.

The implementation of the programme with MCMC is expected to benefit a total of 1,600 community members near Nadi, especially vulnerable groups to receive training and certification in AI skills.

"In addition, this programme will also help improve the employability of 1,000 participants through the MyFutureJobs job matching initiative under the Social Security Organization (PERKESO)," Fahmi said in his keynote speech here today before launching the MCMC Microsoft AI Teach: Skills for AI-enabled Economy program.

Fahmi emphasised that the large-scale foreign investments brought into country need to be translated into various initiatives that are beneficial to the people, adding that it would be meaningless if they do not reflect any benefit to everyone.

"In my opinion, it is not enough to have large foreign investments if people do not also move forward in mastering digital technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), through various platforms.Our presence here today is proof that we need to translate these statements, big announcements and the figures about incoming investments into tangible benefits," he added.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/economy/2024/06/1066156/mcmc-and-microsoft-work-together-raise-malaysians-employability-ai