Reskill, upskill to stay in the game

Free Malaysia Today

2 days ago

While artificial intelligence has rendered some jobs obsolete, it has also ushered in new ones that require a new set of skills. (AFP pic)
PETALING JAYA : For those who are desperate to keep their jobs, artificial intelligence (AI) has become the bogeyman. The threat of it replacing you and I at the workplace is all very real.
Many experts have also added fuel to the fire, citing research that shows imminent widespread job losses as a result of the entry of AI.
For instance, researchers at investment banking and multi-financial services group Goldman Sachs recently estimated that AI could eventually replace two-thirds of all occupations.
But technology has been taking away jobs for years, if not decades now. Over the years, automation has already led to endless cycles of job losses.
On the factory floor in many industrial areas, the chatter of workers has been replaced by the humming of robotic arms.
But while the threat of AI is very much in our collective psyche, the fact is that many other factors also lead to job losses. As unionist J Solomon points out, companies also undergo restructuring exercises from time to time, making 'down-sizing' imperative.
Over and above that, economic fallout, change in consumer demand, or shifts in business strategies also render many jobs obsolete.
Need for change
AI is not necessarily the main cause of job losses. In many sectors, such as oil and gas (O&G) and media, companies have been forced to incorporate new technology into their operations in the face of rising costs.
In O&G, experts say, the widespread acceptance of AI could yield savings of anything from 10% to 20% on spending.
For instance in Singapore, the O&G sector has achieved significant cost reductions, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced safety, resulting in more informed decisions, according to Supermec, an integrated engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services provider based in the island republic.
A consequence of that is that some jobs are rendered redundant.
Big oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron are already leveraging consolidation and technology-driven improvements to manage costs amid declining returns from upstream investments.
In the media, newspapers in the UK and Italy are already experimenting with replacing reporters with AI.
Last year the Worcester Journal, one of more than 200 titles published by Newsquest, the UK's second biggest publisher, hired eight 'AI-assisted' journalists to report on local news, according to The Guardian.
Reporters' input was considered mundane but necessary 'trusted content', The Guardian reported.
This freed up real-life reporters to take on other assignments such as meeting with the local councillor, or attending a village fete, according to news editor Stephanie Preece.
In Italy, the Il Foglio newspaper published an edition generated entirely by AI on March 18, 2025.
The four-page special, aptly named Il Foglio AI, was made available in print and online as part of a month-long experiment, the Prompt Engineering and AI Institute reported on its website promptengineering.org.
The plus side
But ominous as it sounds, that is only half the story.
As Arulkumar Singaraveloo, CEO of human resources advisory services provider Malaysia HR Forum, puts it, it is not doom and gloom all the way.
'While AI will take over some of the tasks that are now handled by people, it cannot replace humans altogether,' he told FMT.
For instance, he said, banks have reduced over-the-counter service substantially in favour of electronic transactions, but counters continue to stay open for customers who require interaction with a bank officer.
Solomon, who is also secretary-general of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE), shares the same sentiments.
'In banking, we frequently see efforts to reduce or replace human roles with AI innovations. But rather than being eliminated entirely, jobs such as data entry are often outsourced to foreign vendors, particularly in countries where labour cost is lower,' he told FMT.
'In such cases, the jobs are not disappearing, but rather being relocated, often under the guise of digital transformation or cost efficiency,' he added.
On the bright side, the entry of AI has also led to new job openings even as it takes away traditional ones.
In a May 15, 2025 report on builtin.com, an online community for startups and tech companies, Goldman Sachs noted that the new technology is creating new jobs as well, 'potentially easing the transition for affected workers'.
The question is whether or not businesses are prepared to help their workers to re-skill or upskill themselves to take on new roles.
The way to reskill and upskill is already here, with HRD Corporation (HRD Corp) at the forefront of such efforts in Malaysia.
A second chance
Over the years, there has in fact been a marked increase in the number of people seeking to acquire new skills, according to HRD Corp chief strategy officer Rony Ambrose Gobilee.
In 2022, about 880,000 people participated in various training exercises under the auspices of HRD Corp. The number of participants rose to 1.49 million in 2024, representing a 69% increase over the period.
The number is the sum of those seeking to reskill or upskill to enable them to get new jobs, as well as those who are looking for their first job.
Another HRD Corp initiative that has attracted wide participation is its National Training Week (NTW), Gobilee told FMT.
More than 3.53 million enrolled for the 2025 edition of its integrated centralised platform to search and apply for a spot in skills development programmes. This was up from 375,817 in 2024.
'This reflects a nationwide enthusiasm for accessible, high-impact training opportunities,' Gobilee pointed out.
'This trend reflects the growing awareness of the need to remain competitive and adaptable in a dynamic economic landscape and a significant growth in appetite for upskilling and reskilling among Malaysian workers,' he added.
Gobilee said HRD Corp's efforts have played a pivotal role in empowering individuals to make the transition into new employment opportunities.
For Solomon, this underscores the importance of opening the way for people to get back on their feet after retrenchment.