KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian businesses need to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) by using the data gathered via the technology to provide better products and services to their customers, says Microsoft (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
AI can be referred as the technology of the generation that will become the centre of the digital world and if harnessed properly, AI is able to provide solutions to problems, from finding cures to diseases to creating a more sustainable world.
Director of legal and corporate affairs for Microsoft Malaysia and new markets, Dr Jasmine Begum, said based on a survey of local chief executive officers, Microsoft identified that only two percent of businesses in Malaysia have started adopting AI.
Hence there are a lot of opportunities yet to be tapped, she noted.
“Companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), need to know that they should be able to use the data from their customers and turn it into opportunities. For example, customers can now go online and give you feedback (after making transactions).
“Are you taking that data and turning it into insights and tweaking your products for the next iteration?
“How many of our SMEs are ready to do that? No. So unless you can show that data can be a business opportunity, the data culture will not take place. ” she told Bernama on the sidelines of Beyond Paradigm Summit 2019 organised by Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd.
She said there are tools that are available for free that companies can use to turn the data into insights, pointing out that it is crucial for companies from all industries to move into AI as the nation slowly moves into the digital world.
“You are dealing with the digital natives and digital natives want everything at their fingertips. They want good government services at their fingertips and they have no patience even to go and register.
“Do you see young people going to the banks? No, they want the e-wallet. So the culture will change and in order for that to happen we need to start utilising our data,” she stressed.
A study by Microsoft and IDC Asia/Pacific entitled “Understanding Consumer Trust in Digital Services in Asia Pacific” found that although the adoption and usage of AI is still in its nascent stages, there is already great optimism for AI in Malaysia.
The study concluded that 89 percent of Malaysians are aware of AI while 51 percent are optimistic about the future of AI.
Consumers are also generally optimistic about the impact of AI on their jobs, with almost four out of five (79 percent) believing that the impact will be positive.
In the past seven months alone, several Malaysian organisations (businesses, universities and governments) have begun embracing cloud technology and AI.
They include Plus Malaysia Bhd, UEM Edgenta, Celcom, Time dotcom, Mimos and Serba Dinamik. – Bernama
