KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Oct — The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world of work, and young people must prepare themselves with adaptability, curiosity, and continuous learning. This was the key message shared during the International Young Future Leaders Summit (iFUTURE 2025) forum titled “AI Future Jobs and Youth’s Readiness”, held at Dewan Merdeka.
Moderated by Prof. Dr. Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), the session brought together two industry experts, Dr. Chandra Aanamirtham, Senior Vice President of Western Digital Global Operations, and Ms. Yeoh Pei Lou, Executive Director of YTL AI Labs. The discussion explored how AI is reshaping job demands and what young people need to do to stay relevant in the next five years.
Dr. Chandra said the key to success lies in learning agility and the ability to adapt quickly. He emphasised that AI is evolving faster than ever and that the workforce must move forward together with a shared mindset.
“We all start from the same line. To stay competitive, we must learn, unlearn, and relearn,” he said, calling for youth to embrace flexibility and adaptive learning to keep pace with the fast-changing landscape.
Meanwhile, Ms. Yeoh highlighted the importance of developing a strong local AI ecosystem through ILMU (Intelek Luhur Malaysia Untukmu), an initiative that promotes Malaysia’s unique approach to AI development. She said every country should build its own AI foundation based on culture, ethics, and language. Yeoh stressed that Malaysia has a unique advantage in Bahasa Melayu-based AI and must use it to solve local problems while maintaining global competitiveness.
She also reminded participants that curiosity, critical thinking, and strong values are as important as technical skills.
“Local AI is not just about knowledge but also about value,” she said, adding that understanding human judgement remains essential in decision-making, even in an AI-driven world.
Both panellists agreed that while AI will continue to transform industries, human creativity and moral insight will remain irreplaceable. As the discussion concluded, the speakers urged youth to see AI as a partner that empowers rather than replaces them, a tool that helps bridge gaps and creates opportunities for a better future.
Source: UTM NewsHub
