KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) with Intel Malaysia and Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) successfully organised the Virtual Artificial Intelligence for SMEs (AI4S) Enhanced Programme for the second time today. The event is a continuation of the first AI4S event held in January this year, where Intel Malaysia awarded AI Starter Kits to 100 selected Malaysian companies. These identified SMEs are currently going through a comprehensive technology enabling process and training to empower them in implementing pilot projects in their business or operation setting to jump-start the Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Industry 4.0 journey. 
 
Today’s AI4S Enhanced Programme saw Intel Malaysia committed to hand out a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA) card to the participant companies. The FPGA card is a powerful tool that enables the AI kit to be five times more powerful than the existing kit.
 
Mr. Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, reiterates McKinsey’s findings that 50 per cent of the production work time in Malaysia is spent on repetitive activities that are highly automatable. “The AI features can assist to automate routine tasks, augment employees’ capabilities, and allow time to focus on more stimulating and higher value-adding work. If automation is widely adopted, AI could potentially create 6 million new jobs by 2030 in Malaysia with new skills and long-term workforce training will be high in demand. Therefore, it is important for the Government to intervene in overcoming challenges faced by the local companies in adopting AI especially in getting the right expertise and manage financing needs.” he added.
 
Mr. Ruban Kanagaratnam, Vice President of Intel Programmable Solutions Group (PSG), acknowledged, “Intel Malaysia believes that a major paradigm shift is needed in our attitude towards having a mind set to see technology as an industry; moving from rushing into creation of technology to balance it with the adoption of the new technology because it is the primary reason technology creates value in the nation’s development. The company trust that the domestic players especially SMEs has an equal opportunity to participate in this revolution if the technology is more user friendly, cost competitive and accessible to the local businesses.” 

Intel is a leader in artificial intelligence solutions covering both software and hardware and is very passionate about bridging its partners, knowledge and technologies together to help build the local ecosystem in Malaysia. To date, five training sessions involving 93 companies have been successfully carried out by MPC and Intel. 
 
Mr. Arham encourages other MNCs to also follow Intel’s footsteps in contributing back to the nation’s industrial ecosystem and increase the capabilities of domestic companies; while at the same time enhancing the MNC’s value proposition. According to him, MIDA is partnering up with Intel Malaysia to emulate a similar AI4S programme for selected local universities to prepare the future ready workforce in AI for entry level careers, while saving employers’ time and resources for basic AI training and skilling.
 
In line with the Government’s commitment, MIDA seeks industry leaders and players to leverage on the facilitation by the Government under the Industry4WRD initiative. This includes company undertaking Readiness Assessment (RA) programme to assess its capabilities and readiness to adopt Industry 4.0 technology. For more details, please get in touch with the officials or visit the official website at www.mida.gov.my.
 

About MIDA
 
MIDA is the government's principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.
 

SOURCE : Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name : Mr. Norhizam Ibrahim
Director, Advanced Technology and Research and Development Division, MIDA 
Tel : +603 2267 6611
Email : norhizam@mida.gov.my

--BERNAMA