02/09/2025

BIZ & FINANCE TUESDAY | SEP 2, 2025

20 Closing the AI gap in the workplace

o While 84% of business leaders trust artificial intelligence, only 26% of employees actively use it

THE artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the future of work globally, and Malaysia is no exception. Across industries, leaders are captivated by the transformative potential of AI. From automating repetitive tasks to enhancing decision-making, AI promises productivity, creativity, and efficiency gains. Yet, while corporate enthusiasm runs high, actual on-the ground adoption remains uneven. The gap between leadership’s vision and employees’ day-to-day reality is proving to be a critical hurdle for Malaysia’s digital progress. A recent study by Jabra highlights this disparity: 84% of business leaders express high trust in AI’s capabilities, but only 26% of office workers are actively using AI tools in their daily routines. This striking contrast underscores a larger issue, not one of awareness, but of enablement. The study, conducted among 1,800 AI decision makers surveyed across six countries and 4,200 employees from 14 countries, highlights that despite strong enthusiasm for AI, there is a clear disconnect between trust in the technology and its actual use in the workplace. While 85% of decision-makers express high interest in AI, the vast majority (82%) acknowledge they need to better understand how AI can improve workplace efficiency. rapid rise of

Employee-led AI adoption Surprisingly, despite the lack of formal organisational strategies, many employees are forging their own paths when it comes to AI integration. According to the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report by Microsoft and LinkedIn, a remarkable 84% of Malaysian knowledge workers report using AI at work, significantly higher than the global average of 75%. This suggests a bottom-up trend, where employees are independently exploring AI to improve their productivity, even without structured guidance or investment from employers. Generational divide in AI sentiment Another layer of complexity is the generational divide in how AI is perceived and adopted. Jabra’s research indicates that younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are far more enthusiastic and willing to embrace AI tools. Nearly 47% of Millennials and 37% of Gen Z feel positive about AI at work, compared to just 15% of Boomers. When it comes to actual usage of AI, 28% of Millennials and Gen Z are engaging with AI daily at work, while only 15% of Boomers are doing the same. Additionally, the data from Jabra also reveals that AI decision makers are relatively young, with 58% between the ages of 18 and 39, and 71% are not from the IT department.

maintain a resilient presence in its core sector. In less than a year, the group secured eight new O&G contracts, including five packages under the Construction and Modification Work (CMW) contracts awarded on Nov 12, 2024, which cover downstream facilities nationwide. To support these projects more effectively, the group is reallocating RM7 million of its IPO proceeds initially earmarked for the Proposed Teluk Kalung Facility 2 towards working capital. like Baby Boomers (25%) compared to Gen Z (20%). Workers in smaller companies also report significantly higher concern (37%) compared to those in larger organisations (25%), suggesting that access to resources and digital readiness play a role in how secure employees feel. While AI adoption is accelerating, these statistics reveal a deeper sentiment in the workforce: people are not just asking what AI can do, they’re asking what it might undo. Addressing these concerns requires more than just rolling out new tools; it demands thoughtful implementation, inclusive training, and clear communication from leadership to ensure AI becomes a source of empowerment rather than anxiety. Conclusion As Malaysia gears up to become a regional leader in AI and digital innovation, the path forward cannot be paved by technology alone. The disparity between leadership’s optimism and employees’ everyday experience reveals that AI success is as much about people as it is about platforms. To move from hype to real impact, organisations must actively involve employees in the transformation, providing clear guidance, inclusive training, and psychological safety. Only then can AI evolve into a true workplace friend that uplifts productivity without eroding trust or job security. In short, Malaysia’s AI future won’t just be built on algorithms, but on how empowered the people using them are. This article is contributed by Jabra global product marketing director Xuanling Lu ( pic ).

spending.” He added that they see strong potential to extend their expertise into utilities and power, industrial manufacturing, healthcare, defence, telecommunications and large-scale commercial projects. He said the group is actively tendering for a pipeline of new EPCC opportunities in both the public and private sectors and is in the process of registering as a vendor with several corporations. While expansion beyond O&G gathers pace, Steel Hawk continues to center. Additionally, as part of Microsoft’s “AI for Malaysia’s Future” initiative, they also aim to equip 800,000 Malaysians with AI skills by the end of 2025. These investments are timely, but to unlock their full potential, firms must take practical steps at the ground level. That means implementing structured training programmes tailored to different roles and generations, fostering a culture of experimentation, showcasing success stories of how AI improves day-to-day operations across departments and investing in integration and access, ensuring tools like Copilot and ChatGPT are not just available but embedded within core business systems. Apprehension about job security The Jabra report highlights that approximately one-third of decision makers and knowledge workers are apprehensive about AI potentially replacing their jobs. This concern is mirrored in Malaysia, where a recent Ipsos survey revealed that nearly 73% of Malaysians fear that AI will lead to significant job losses, surpassing the global average of 65%. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang recently projected that over 30% of jobs in the country could be impacted by AI within the next decade, underscoring the urgency for companies and the government to ramp up upskilling and reskilling efforts. These concerns are echoed in the latest Jabra report, which reveals that about 1 in 3 decision-makers (34%) and knowledge workers (33%) are worried about AI replacing their jobs. The anxiety is even more pronounced among women (35%) compared to men (32%), and older generations

Awareness vs. action While general awareness of AI is high, actual usage of specific tools paints a different picture. According to the same Jabra study, 91% of employees are aware of AI in general, including well-known platforms like ChatGPT. However, awareness of workplace centric tools such as Microsoft Copilot dips to 66%. More tellingly, only 28% of employees use ChatGPT, and a mere 17% use Copilot at work. Furthermore, just 8% to 14% perceive these tools as beneficial to their jobs. This disconnect between awareness, sentiment, and practical usage indicates that employees may either not fully understand the capabilities of these tools or struggle to see how they can be applied meaningfully in their roles. Without proper onboarding and examples of real-world applications, the promise of AI remains abstract. Awareness vs adoption To bridge this adoption gap, Malaysian companies must go beyond simply adopting AI, they need to start enabling it. Global tech giants are already laying the groundwork. Microsoft, for example, has announced a $2.2 billion investment over four years to develop Malaysia’s cloud and AI infrastructure, including the establishment of a national AI

Steel Hawk expands beyond oil and gas sector KUALA LUMPUR: Oil and gas services and equipment provider Steel Hawk Bhd and its subsidiaries announced its strategic expansion beyond the oil and gas (O&G) sector with its maiden entry into the utilities and power infrastructure space. The group, through its wholly for Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB). The scope of works involve the installation, testing and commissioning of 11kV and 33kV underground aluminium cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) power cables and accessories. contractor responsible for project execution, coordination and overall delivery to TNB.

Steel Hawk deputy chairman and executive director Datuk Sharman K. Michael said: “This collaboration marks a pivotal step for Steel Hawk. By expanding our engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) capabilities beyond O&G into electrical infrastructure, we are diversifying our earnings base, reducing reliance on a single sector, and aligning with long term national infrastructure

The subcontract works are part of three Letters of Intent (LoI) awarded by TNB to IBSE, with a total contract value of approximately RM92.7 million. Under this collaboration, SHESB will support the project by contributing manpower and working capital while IBSE will lead as the main

owned subsidiary Steel Hawk Engineering Sdn Bhd (SHESB), has entered into a collaboration agreement with Ibrahim & Sons Engineering Sdn Bhd (IBSE) to jointly undertake subcontract works valued at approximately RM92.7 million