KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia faces a shortfall of more than 500,000 AI-skilled workers as the country races to build the talent needed to unlock an estimated RM50 billion in economic potential from its AI economy by 2030.
The skills gap is compounded by concerns among employees, with workplace studies indicating that up to nine in 10 Malaysian workers, depending on sector, feel inadequately trained to work alongside artificial intelligence (AI).
At the same time, assessments by agencies including TalentCorp have warned that around 700,000 existing roles could face displacement or significant changes in their tasks due to AI, automation and digitalisation unless workers are aggressively reskilled.
The mismatch has highlighted the need to accelerate efforts to equip the existing workforce with practical digital and AI capabilities, rather than relying solely on traditional education and training pipelines.
Against this backdrop, PEOPLElogy Berhad, described as Southeast Asia’s first publicly listed Digital Workforce Transformation company, has launched National AI Readiness Week 2026 (NAIRW 2026), a five-day national platform running from Nov 12 to 18 at two venues in the Klang Valley.
The initiative is part of the company’s “I’m AI Ready” movement, a 36-month national campaign launched on June 19 to encourage 5 million Malaysians to declare their AI readiness by 2030.
PEOPLElogy founder and managing director Allen Lee said the campaign was launched at a critical time as the rapid expansion of AI continues to widen the gap between awareness of the technology and the ability to use it effectively.
“We are launching National AI Readiness Week right now because the AI industry stands at a critical crossroads: while the immense economic potential of artificial intelligence is scaling rapidly, our workforce faces a widening gap between passive awareness and actual capability,” he said.
Lee said the initiative aimed to reach 5 million public AI readiness declarations by 2030 through verified assessments, AI mastery scholarships and commitments from businesses and organisations.
As of the end of September, more than 9,100 Malaysians had declared their AI readiness, against the movement’s target of 50,000 declarations by the end of 2026.
More than 800 delegates have also registered for NAIRW 2026, while the Asia AI Excellence Awards has received more than 200 nominations.
The event will bring together three key groups — the wider workforce, business and organisational leaders, and organisations driving AI adoption.
The I’m AI READY Summit, from Nov 12 to 14, will cater to SMEs, entrepreneurs, students and workers, offering AI-readiness assessments, practical support and personalised upskilling roadmaps.
This will be followed by the Build a Future Team (BAFT) Leaders Conference from Nov 17 to 18, focusing on corporate, human resources and government leaders, with discussions centred on organisational readiness and future workforce strategies.
“The week is intentionally designed to connect the boardroom with the Rakyat simultaneously, ensuring that leadership frameworks, small business execution and individual workforce upskilling align so no one is left behind,” the organisers said.
The week will conclude with the Asia AI Excellence Awards, which will recognise organisations for measurable AI impact, with Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo scheduled to present the awards.
As part of the campaign, PEOPLElogy is also providing RM3 million in AI Mastery Scholarships to support Malaysians pursuing AI-related upskilling.
The company is also running a nationwide contest offering an iPhone 18 Pro Max (512GB) as a daily prize during the I’m AI READY Summit from Nov 12 to 14.
Participants must complete the “Find Out Your AI Personality” quiz, which is also used as part of the official AI-readiness declaration, before registering for NAIRW 2026.
The movement is being carried out in collaboration with MyDIGITAL Corporation, in line with broader efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s digital economy and build an AI-ready talent pipeline.
PEOPLElogy said NAIRW 2026 is the first edition of the initiative, with a second edition targeted for the second quarter of 2027 as part of its 36-month campaign to reach the 5 million-Malaysian target by 2030.