Malaysians see strong productivity gains from artificial intelligence (AI) as many as eight in ten Malaysians report that AI tools have helped them save time and improve efficiency, a poll from Ipsos showed Tuesday.
This is reinforcing expectations that AI will continue to reshape how they work in the years ahead, according to the report.
These tangible benefits help explain the growing acceptance and adoption of AI across the country.
While Malaysians generally believe AI can improve their own jobs, only around half are confident that AI will improve the broader job market and economy.
This gap indicates the view on AI is anchored in daily productivity, while its wider economic and societal impact remains less fully grasped.
Meanwhile, more than 60 percent of Malaysians are comfortable with AI recommending treatments and diagnosing symptoms, well above the global average.
However, confidence is lower when it comes to AI’s ability to improve overall health in the next three to five years, highlighting a clear gap between trust in immediate utility and belief in long-term health impact.
Overall, Asia leads the world in AI optimism Confidence in AI’s future impact is rising worldwide, and the optimism is strongest among the Asian countries.
Malaysians also share this positive outlook, with expectations for AI’s influence on daily life well above levels seen in Western Europe and the United States.
However, the AI optimism seen across Asia is not shared universally.
Consumers in Western Europe and the United States are significantly less enthusiastic about AI, while less than half believe AI delivers more benefits than drawbacks.
Trust in AI’s work varies widely across markets.
China stands out, with more than half of consumers saying they do not check AI results, while Asian consumers generally show greater reliance on AI-generated information than those in Western markets.
As AI becomes more embedded in everyday life, maintaining critical judgement and human oversight will remain important, said Ipsos.
Across most markets, AI is now trusted as much as people to make fair and unbiased decisions.
This gap is widest in China, where trust in AI significantly exceeds trust in people.
Malaysians, however, place similar levels of trust in both AI and humans, reflecting a more balanced perspective also seen in Western markets.
The latest Ipsos AI Monitor report reveals a clear divide in global attitudes towards AI.
“While consumers worldwide expect AI to play a bigger role in their lives in the years ahead, optimism is strongest across Asia and significantly outpaces sentiment in Western Europe and the United States,
“China leads the region in its enthusiasm towards AI, while Malaysians share the broader Asian outlook and remain confident in AI’s potential,” said Ipsos.
It noted this confidence is reinforced by tangible benefits already being experienced today.
From workplace productivity to healthcare, it said many Malaysians see AI as a tool that can improve efficiency, support decision-making and deliver meaningful outcomes, including healthcare advice.
“However, the growing use of AI raises important concerns around the need for critical thinking, human oversight, and fact verification,” it added.
At the same time, it said a clear disconnect emerges between the perceptions of AI’s impact on individual productivity and its broader economic implications.
This highlights the needs for continuous upskilling to build an AI-skilled workforce and society, it noted.
“As Malaysia advances its AI and digital initiatives, including initiatives such as the National AI Office and growing data center investments, workforce readiness will be the key into long-term economic value,” it added.
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