Microsoft Build AI Day Highlights – US$2.2 billion investment in Malaysia to accelerate cloud and AI transformation
At the recent Microsoft Build AI Day in Kuala Lumpur, Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft announced that they will be investing US$2.2 billion over the next four years in Malaysia to support the nation’s digital transformation which is the single largest investment in their 32-year presence in the country.
The US$2.2 billion investment will enable Microsoft to meet the growing demand for cloud computing services in Malaysia with the country poised to capture US$115 billion of the nearly US$1 trillion in potential gross domestic product (GDP) in Southeast Asia based on research by Kearney.
Microsoft Build AI Day highlight – US$2.2 billion Investment in Malaysia
These investments consist of establishing cloud and AI infrastructure, creating AI skilling opportunities for 200,000 people in Malaysia, strengthening its partnership with the Malaysia government to establish a national AI Centre of Excellence, enhancing the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities as well as nurturing the growth of Malaysia’s developer community.
“As a nation, we are focused on accelerating digitalization and fostering a culture of innovation alongside technological advancement to level the playing field for all Malaysians to prosper in an inclusive digital economy. Microsoft’s investment is a significant step in our journey towards becoming a digitally inclusive society. It underscores the importance of partnership in driving nationwide digital transformation and reinforces our commitment to equipping Malaysians with the infrastructure, advanced tools, and skills they need to thrive inthe digital age, ” said YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital.
“We are committed to supporting Malaysia’s AI transformation and ensure it benefits all Malaysians,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “Our investments in digital infrastructure and skilling will help Malaysian businesses, communities, and developers apply the latest technology to drive inclusive economic growth and innovation across the country.”
Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft
The investment initiative by Microsoft will also see AI adoption in the Malaysia public sector through projects with the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) for more effective international trade negotiations, the leveraging of Azure OpenAI Service for Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation for their MYSTartup platform and the adoption of Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enhance productivity in the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and the Malaysia Energy Commission.
To enhance Malaysia’s cybersecurity capabilities, Microsoft will collaborate with the National Cyber Security Agency of Malaysia (NACSA) through the Perisai Siber (Cyber Shield) initiative. “Microsoft’s collaboration with NACSA on “Perisai Siber” is pivotal as one of our strategic partnerships with industry players in establishing a secure digital infrastructure for our nation. Together, our goal is to bolster security and resilience, beginning with the public sector, to ultimately strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities.” said Dr. Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin, Chief Executive Officer, National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA)
In addition to the significant investment in Malaysia’ digital transformation, Microsoft is looking to offer AI skilling opportunities for 2.5 million people in association with ASEAN member states by 2025 via partnerships and training to business organisations, communities, nonprofits and governments in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
This skilling initiative is expected to benefit 200,000 Malaysians by offering technical and vocational students AI skills through the AI Teach Malaysia programme, empower women with cybersecurity careers via the Ready4AI&Security initiative, offer AI fluency training to help youths from underserved and underrepresented communities and empower non-profit organisations with AI skills and knowledge.
To nurture and foster the growth of Malaysia’s developer community, Microsoft will be offering the AI Odyssey initiative which is slated to help 2,000 Malaysian developers become AI subject matter experts by empowering them with new skills and Microsoft credentials.
Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella (L) meets with YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya in Malaysia ahead of Microsoft Build AI Day [Credit Annice Lyn]
Microsoft’s AI-powered initiatives will also be deployed in a host of other organisations in multiple fields of endeavour such as Petronas who will be adapting Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enhance employee productivity, the use of GitHub Copilot to expedite development by Doctor2U along with the use of Azure AI Search to speed up results from patient data sets and more. For more details on Microsoft Build AI Day and Satya Nadella’s official Malaysia visit, check out their official page https://news.microsoft.com/malaysia-visit-2024/