Kuala lumpur: Companies within the ASEAN region, including Malaysia, are urged to establish clear business objectives, enhance workforce skills, and demonstrate robust leadership to fully capitalize on artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jake Burns, an executive in residence at Amazon Web Services (AWS), highlighted that numerous organizations hastily adopt AI without aligning it with tangible business value. Burns emphasized the importance of identifying specific problems that companies aim to resolve and utilizing AI as a tool to achieve quantifiable commercial outcomes. He mentioned that the excitement surrounding AI capabilities often leads businesses to engage without a strategic goal in mind.
AWS re:Invent 2025, the company's premier technology conference, is currently underway in Las Vegas, drawing approximately 60,000 industry professionals from December 1 to 5. Burns noted that AI's successful implementation requires workforce upskilling rather than mere system upgrades, stressing that the emphasis should be on human resources rather than technology alone.
In discussing cloud preferences in ASEAN, Burns observed that public cloud solutions are favored by both global and regional enterprises due to their cost-effectiveness and superior scalability compared to private cloud infrastructures. He pointed out that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia could greatly benefit from cloud and AI technologies, given their limited capital and technical resources compared to larger corporations.
Burns also remarked on the necessity of a skilled workforce for SMEs venturing into AI, highlighting the importance of practical experience over theoretical knowledge. He asserted that while regular developers and product managers are not the creators of AI models, they play a pivotal role in extracting real value from AI applications. He concluded that companies integrating AI with a proficient workforce are likely to gain a competitive edge and potentially expand their workforce.
Addressing regulatory disparities between ASEAN and the United States, AWS scholar Michael Kearns stated that while the principles of responsible AI are universally applicable, regulatory frameworks vary significantly. He noted that AWS is vigilant in tracking global regulations to remain compliant and proactive. Kearns emphasized the need for practical and specific regulations that are not excessively broad, anticipating continuous changes in regulatory landscapes. Burns concurred, advising governments to maintain flexibility in long-term AI strategies due to the rapid technological advancements, suggesting that a five-year plan may quickly become obsolete.