Excitement and anxiety: where Malaysia stands on AI
Malaysians are generally excited about artificial intelligence, placing our country third among the 30 nations surveyed by Ipsos. (Envato Elements pic)
KUALA LUMPUR : According to a new survey, Malaysia is one of the most AI-excited countries in the world – but also among the most nervous.
The Ipsos AI Monitor 2025 reveals 77% of Malaysians say artificial intelligence makes them excited, with enthusiasm specifically shown for its deployment in products and services.
This positive reaction places Malaysians third among the 30 countries surveyed by Ipsos, involving 23,216 adult respondents.
At the same time, 55% of Malaysians say AI makes them nervous, slightly higher than the global average of 53%. This emotional split reflects what Ipsos calls the 'wonder and worry of AI' – a paradox where optimism and anxiety coexist in public sentiment.
'For years, in the Ipsos Global AI monitor, we have seen a similar tension related to this specific set of technologies: people are excited about the advances in artificial intelligence, but they are also nervous about the changes those advances could bring,' said Ipsos senior vice-president Matt Carmichael.
This duality is echoed in other reports. Microsoft and LinkedIn's 2024 Work Trend Index Report reveals that 84% of Malaysian knowledge workers are already using AI at work, surpassing the global average of 75%.
Despite this, 83% of Malaysian employees are bringing their own AI tools to work, indicating a proactive approach by the workforce in the absence of a coherent AI strategy from their organisations, the report highlights.
National efforts
Malaysia's case of 'wonder and worry' may stem from strong national ambitions for AI, coupled with a growing public awareness of its risks.
The government has openly embraced AI as part of the country's national development, with the National Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2021-2025, launched in 2022, outlining strategic goals for integrating AI across sectors like agriculture and forestry, healthcare, smart cities and transportation, education, and public service.
More recently, the AI Talent Roadmap 2024-2033 – launched by the science, technology and innovation ministry (Mosti) in collaboration with the ministry of higher education – aims to ensure Malaysia develops a steady pipeline of high-quality AI graduates over the next decade.
In September, Mosti also released the National Guidelines on AI Governance and Ethics to support the responsible and ethical development and use of the technology.
The government also officially established the National Artificial Intelligence Office late last year, tasked with helping Malaysia transition from an AI consumer to producer.
With these pushes for adoption and public engagement, it's no surprise that Malaysians largely view artificial intelligence positively.
The Ipsos report suggests that faith in institutions may be reinforcing this confidence: 73% of Malaysians say they trust the government to regulate AI responsibly – well above levels in countries like Australia (46%) and the United States (31%).
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