00:01When we think of artificial intelligence talent, we might picture a fresh computer science graduate from a top university.
00:07But what if the future of AI belongs to a much wider pool of talent?
00:12Gamuda Technologies is challenging that assumption through the Gamuda AI Academy, or GAIA,
00:17showing that a career in AI and deep tech does not have to be limited by age, background, or geography.
00:23Launched in 2024, GAIA was created to help bridge Malaysia's AI talent gap and develop a new generation of AI
00:31-proficient professionals and innovators.
00:34More than 350 graduates have now passed through the program across the main campus in Kuala Lumpur, with two others
00:40in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
00:44We do have a student that is not coming from a standard or the traditional background, such as from a
00:49computer science and so on.
00:51The most rewarding part is where I can see that they're finally able to develop their system from scratch, for
00:57example,
00:58and eventually able to switch their career path into an AI-based career path,
01:03such as becoming a software engineer, front-end developer, in general as a software engineer.
01:10For many participants, GAIA is not simply about learning how to code.
01:14It is about learning how their existing experience can work alongside new technology.
01:19Some graduates go on to join Gamuda Technologies, contributing to its commercial AI products.
01:24Others take their new skills elsewhere, making GAIA a talent pipeline for the wider industry.
01:30In AI Academy, I actually have the front row seat to see how we can adapt to this kind of
01:35working in a team.
01:38It's very, very different to like a year ago. As a software engineer, we are building something to help someone
01:44else,
01:44to help make other people's life easier. You get to actually see the feedback of the people using,
01:51get the sense of like building something, show it to the world, rather than like inside.
01:57So it kind of like reminds me of, oh, what am I actually doing?
02:02Why am I building this? Who am I building this for?
02:07For me, I have to be ready with the future skills, so to not just be ahead in terms of
02:14skillset,
02:15but also to be relevant and be able to support my wife and kids.
02:19So that's in terms of, and also having, being future proof, it also helps with the national narrative
02:29that Malaysia wants to be AI nation by 2013.
02:33So I want to elevate oneself and make oneself relevant in today's landscape,
02:38but also need to have serve as a bridge between the top, the C-suite, the top management,
02:44and the engineering team, so that we'll be able to translate technical information,
02:52business information, directly into business viability, scalability, and measurable ROI.
03:04I find myself going back to school, so to speak. It's eye-opening, because, you know,
03:10before this I was in a boardroom or in a management meetings, making decisions and, you know, contributing,
03:16and suddenly I am nobody going back to class, like a little, I would say like a dinosaur,
03:22and meeting people who's like 20 years younger than me, you know, so humbling experience.
03:31I have difficulty when I have an idea about something or a vision on how a process or, you know,
03:37a solution should be,
03:38but then I need to find a technical person to solve it.
03:41So I find myself, you know, after my session at Gamuda, trying to fix things, you know,
03:48I learn what is debugging, you know, all this well, I just, before I join it, I only see aerial
03:53messages,
03:53and not understanding, you know, what that means.
03:56But for me, I feel, you know, I feel rewarded after joining this program, because now as a leader, I
04:07see things for the potential of what it can be,
04:11and I can see the path leading to it.
04:16Gamuda AI Academy helped me, they act as a bridge that connects these dots.
04:21So they didn't just teach me how to build a modern scalable system or end-to-end apps,
04:27but the mentorship there showed me how I can apply my past engineering discipline,
04:33and combine it with the modern data, tools, and cloud.
04:37Gamuda AI Academy helped me realize that my past experience has not gone to waste.
04:42I completely understand that feeling.
04:45When we step out of the traditional workforce, or like, consider changing the feel completely,
04:53it's easy to feel like we are starting from zero.
04:56But the truth is, we are not starting from scratch.
05:01Whatever we do, everything that we've done before matters.
05:05Their stories point to a broader lesson.
05:08As AI reshapes the workplace, the ability to adapt may be just as important
05:12as the ability to write code.
05:14By opening its doors to people regardless of age, career stage, or previous technical experience,
05:19GAIA is positioning AI skills as a tool for social mobility,
05:24rather than a privilege reserved for a narrow demographic.
05:28For more information, visit www.fema.gov.au
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