AI-Ya Daily

Sarawak's 5GW AI Campus: Which Jobs Come With It, and How to Get One

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In today’s AI news, Raj asks what jobs could come with the planned five-gigawatt AI build in Sarawak, after SoftBank, Grab and PETROS signed a joint development agreement on Monday. We price the realistic routes in ringgit, from Sarawak’s own electrical competency certificates to free and paid data centre courses, for workers across Malaysia, including a forty-year-old admin manager.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: Anthropic releases Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2, faster and 20% cheaper, ahead of a listing aimed at the week of 16 November. That updates our 23 October and 7 November episodes, and Raj’s Claude Pro vote stands. Australia’s central bank says a data centre boom helped push its rates to 4.85%, while Bank Negara Malaysia held the OPR at 2.75%. And in a story we missed, Malaysia’s planned government cloud would bar AI training on citizens’ data without written permission, as 317 responses on the AI Governance Bill are reviewed. The Big Question asks whether Sarawak’s graduates should be trained to build Malaysian models or to run the world’s best.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: a job that doesn’t exist yet 0:36 Meet the hosts 1:10 Anthropic’s Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2: faster and cheaper 2:52 Data centres pushed Australia’s rates up; Bank Negara held 4:17 Government cloud: no AI training on citizens’ data without permission 5:32 A word from AI-YA 6:12 Sarawak’s AI campus: which jobs, and realistic routes in 11:06 The Big Question: train graduates to build our own models, or run the best? 12:11 The Verdict: Certified Data Centre Professional course 12:43 One thing to do today 13:11 Tomorrow: Made in Malaysia

Today’s Verdict: EPI Certified Data Centre Professional (CDCP) course (RM5,400 in a classroom, about RM3,630 online). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T1 Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

What 'No Cheap Power' Means for Malaysian Business Electricity Bills

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news for Malaysia starts with your electricity bill: Mei Ling explains what Minister Johari Abdul Ghani’s “no cheap power” line for data centres means for business tariffs this quarter, with November’s 3.60 sen surcharge and a December forecast of up to 7.98 sen. She also checks, briefly, whether MDEC’s RM30 million small-firm AI fund has published rules yet.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: SoftBank, Grab and PETROS sign a joint development agreement with US$1 billion (about RM4.06 billion) in seed capital for AI infrastructure in Sarawak, which updates our 12 October and 26 October episodes. Homegrown navigation apps multiply after the Waze curb for civil servants, but some keep their data in Singapore and the US. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil says Malaysia may speed up its move to quantum-safe encryption, as OpenAI and Anthropic say their AI disproved a long-held computer science assumption. The Big Question asks what “local” really means when you choose a tool for your business data.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: the fuel surcharge on a shop’s bill 0:31 Meet the hosts 1:05 SoftBank, Grab and PETROS put US$1bn behind Sarawak AI 3:04 Homegrown map apps multiply after the Waze curb 4:41 Quantum-safe encryption, and AI disproves a computer science assumption 6:08 A word from Hitower IT 6:56 What “no cheap power” means for business bills, and the RM30m fund check 10:33 The Big Question: what does “local” really mean for your data? 11:35 The Verdict: Claude Pro 12:25 One thing to do today 12:56 Tomorrow: work and skills

Today’s Verdict: Claude Pro (about RM81 a month, or RM811 a year). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Free cukup. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T4 Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Six Months of Free AI From AWS: What Malaysian SMEs Pay After the Trial

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news for Malaysia looks at Amazon Web Services’ offer of six free months of its Amazon Quick workplace assistant for small firms, through GDEX’s GD XCHANGE and the distributor VSTECS. Aiman works out what month seven costs in ringgit, when it pays for itself, and what breaks, from unpublished readiness criteria to usage meters and overshared folders.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode, Hong Leong Bank keeps all ten graduates from its technology trainee programme, after a year spent building AI chatbots and automation. In an update to Saturday’s episode, OpenAI promises to pay the power costs of the data centres it owns after a US voter backlash, while Minister Johari Abdul Ghani tells the Dewan Rakyat that operators can’t expect cheap energy in Malaysia. And British bank data puts consumer AI spending above £1 billion a year, with Claude gaining on ChatGPT. Malaysia has no comparable figure yet, so we explain what the AI subscription tax relief means for you. The Big Question asks whether a readiness test leaves the least-prepared firms behind.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: free AI, after an exam nobody can revise for 0:28 Meet the hosts 1:01 Hong Leong Bank keeps all ten AI-building graduate trainees 2:16 Who pays the data centre power bill? OpenAI and Johari 3:47 Britain’s £1bn AI subscription habit, and Malaysia’s missing number 5:20 A word from AI-YA 5:59 AWS’s six free months of Amazon Quick: what month seven costs 10:15 The Big Question: help firms that can’t pass, or back those that can? 11:13 The Verdict: Amazon Quick Plus 11:46 One thing to do today 12:11 Tomorrow: policy and money

Today’s Verdict: Amazon Quick Plus (about RM81 per user a month, billed annually). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T2 Who gets left behind.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Rewrite Your CV and Practise Interviews With AI: Four Safe Steps for Malaysia

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In this Sunday practical from our AI news podcast for Malaysia, Aiman leads four steps to rewrite a CV and prepare for a job interview with AI, with real ringgit costs. We cover what never to paste into a chatbot, how to rewrite for one real advert, how to practise interviews out loud, and how to check a recruiter before you send anything.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode:

Police figures: 8,911 job scam cases and RM222 million lost in 2025, plus 1,537 cases in the first quarter of 2026.
A Pekan clerk who lost RM101,007 to a fake part-time job.
SEEK’s figure on AI-written resumes in Malaysia, and why employers now check AI skills.
An update on Budget 2027’s RM2,500 graduate minimum wage, which still has no start date we could find.
An illustrative Ipoh graduate who goes through all four steps for RM0, or RM38.99 with one paid month.
Our ChatGPT Go Verdict from 25 October, revisited, with Raj changing his vote.
The Big Question: should employers reward graduates who use AI well, or test everyone in person?

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: 8,911 job scams and a CV from 2019 0:35 Meet the hosts 1:08 Step 1: make a clean copy, and what never to paste in 2:41 Step 2: rewrite your CV for one real advert 4:21 Step 3: practise the interview out loud 6:06 A word from Hitower IT 6:52 Step 4: check the recruiter, plus a worked example 10:26 The Big Question: reward AI skill, or test everyone in person? 11:37 The Verdict: ChatGPT Go for job hunting 12:18 One thing to do today 12:43 Tomorrow: SME and tools day

Today’s Verdict: ChatGPT Go (RM38.99 a month) for one month of job hunting. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T3 The fresh grad question.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Google's RM61 Billion Malaysia Pledge in a Week AI Shares Slid

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

This Saturday week in review of AI news for Malaysia starts with the story we missed: Google’s US$15 billion plan for data centres, clean power, water and training, about RM61 billion. Aiman, Mei Ling and Raj read the fine print, follow up two stories from this week and revisit every call we made.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: AI shares fell hard after the US midterm elections, as many voters signalled opposition to data centres, and Bursa Malaysia’s technology index dropped 4.27% on Thursday. This updates Wednesday’s look at whether the AI export boom will last. Reuters reports that investors doubt Anthropic can list in November, an update to our Tuesday and Friday episodes. In the week revisited, Mei Ling splits her Bukku vote, Raj defends four straight no-votes, and we admit we missed Google’s announcement on Thursday. The RM30 million small-firm AI fund still has no published rules. The Big Question asks whether Malaysia should welcome foreign-owned AI infrastructure or insist on more Malaysian ownership.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: who read the room wrong? 0:31 Meet the hosts 1:04 The story we missed: Google’s RM61bn Malaysia pledge 3:27 AI shares slide after the US midterms, and Bursa tech follows 5:39 Investors doubt Anthropic’s November listing 7:14 A word from AI-YA 7:55 The week revisited: five votes and five Big Questions 11:14 The Big Question: foreign-owned AI infrastructure, or Malaysian ownership? 11:53 One thing to do this weekend 12:23 Tomorrow: AI for your CV and job interview

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

When AI Agents Act for Us, Who Answers When They Get It Wrong?

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In this Friday special of our AI news podcast, Aiman, Mei Ling and Raj ask who answers when an AI agent sends, spends or books something wrong, and how much we should let agents do. Mei Ling leads a longer, reflective episode that covers four things: the strongest case for agents, what they mean for jobs and trust in Malaysia, what history says about automated mistakes, and each host’s position.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode:

Anthropic’s amended IPO filing and its “may imminently meet” warning.
Visa’s agent-payment testing with four Malaysian banks.
An Exabytes agent that answers a durian seller’s customers through the night.
Stanford’s latest data on young workers.
Air Canada’s chatbot ruling, the 2010 flash crash, Knight Capital, Uber’s Tempe crash, the Tesla Autopilot verdict and Australia’s Robodebt.
What Odd Lots, The Diary of a CTO, The Ezra Klein Show and a Washington briefing said about agent liability, and what they miss about Malaysia.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: the airline that blamed its chatbot 0:53 Meet the hosts: when AI acts for us 2:05 The case for AI agents, from Visa’s bank tests to a durian seller 6:22 Jobs, trust and who carries the blame 11:02 History’s warnings: flash crash, Knight Capital, Uber, Robodebt 16:11 A word from Hitower IT 17:00 What four podcasts say about agent liability, and what they miss about Malaysia 21:53 The Friday positions: how much should an agent do without asking? 26:02 One thing to do this weekend 26:39 Tomorrow: week in review

Stories and sources

Standing thread: The big questions (Friday special).

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Malaysia's Puchong Chip Designers: What They Build, and Who Pays

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news asks what the engineers at the Malaysia IC Design Park in Puchong are designing, and who pays for it, now that Selangor says 95% of them are Malaysian. Mei Ling goes through the six chips launched in October and the state, federal and private money behind them, and asks what it means for Malaysia.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: Google pledges US$160 million (about RM651 million) for a reservoir and water treatment plant in Negeri Sembilan, to support its upcoming Port Dickson data centre. Nvidia reportedly tells data centre customers to sell at least 51% of their services to non-Chinese companies, and we look at what that could mean for data centres here. Google adds Malaysia to the countries getting ads inside AI Mode search answers, and we revisit our ChatGPT Ads Verdict. The Big Question asks whether to pick the cheapest capable AI model whatever its origin, or pay for one whose data sits closer to home.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: 400 chip designers in Puchong 0:25 Meet the hosts 1:10 Google’s RM651m water plant for its Negeri Sembilan data centre 2:41 Nvidia’s reported 51% rule for data centres 4:05 Google AI Mode ads come to Malaysia 5:41 A word from AI-YA 6:18 Malaysia IC Design Park: what they design, and who pays 10:00 The Big Question: cheapest model, or data closer to home? 11:17 The Verdict: Google AI Pro 11:53 One thing to do today 12:17 Tomorrow: Friday special, when AI acts for us

Today’s Verdict: Google AI Pro (RM97.99 a month) for one office worker. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Cybersecurity Jobs for Career Switchers in Malaysia: Costs and HRD Corp Claims

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In today’s AI news, Raj asks which cybersecurity jobs a 40-year-old admin manager in Malaysia could realistically train for, after the science minister called for more specialists. We cost the routes in ringgit, from Google’s certificate on Coursera to HRD Corp-claimable SOC courses, and explain why ISC2’s free entry exam is no longer an option for newcomers.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: the Deputy Communications Minister warns about AI-generated “sympathy” images used in fake donation drives, as MCMC’s scam takedown requests pass 174,000. In an update to our 31 October episode, the Deputy Prime Minister says Malaysia no longer really encourages new data centres. And in an update to our 24 October week in review, The Star asks whether Malaysia’s AI-driven export boom will last, with Elon Musk warning about “neoclouds”. The Big Question asks whether public money should fund entry-level cybersecurity certificates for everyone, or advanced training for people already in IT.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: can a 40-year-old become a cybersecurity specialist? 0:28 Meet the hosts 1:12 AI “sympathy scams” and record MCMC takedowns 2:54 Malaysia no longer encourages new data centres 4:02 Will the AI export boom last? 5:43 A word from Hitower IT 6:30 Cybersecurity jobs for career switchers: routes, costs, HRD Corp 11:14 The Big Question: fund entry certificates or advanced training? 12:20 The Verdict: Google Cybersecurity Certificate 12:54 One thing to do today 13:25 Tomorrow: Made in Malaysia chip designers

Today’s Verdict: Google Cybersecurity Certificate on Coursera (about RM118 a month in Malaysia). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Free cukup. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T2 Who gets left behind.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Malaysia's AI Bill Covers Users: Who Answers When Your AI Agent Slips Up?

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news asks who answers when an AI agent goes wrong, now that Malaysia’s AI Governance Bill is finished and covers those who use AI as well as those who build it. Mei Ling also checks whether MDEC’s RM30 million fund for small firms in Malaysia has rules yet, and sets out what a business running AI agents should do now.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: customs seized 30 AI chip servers worth about RM49.5 million at KLIA, the fifth case this year linked to one suspected syndicate. Anthropic, the maker of Claude, filed to list on Nasdaq and reported US$16.3 billion (about RM66 billion) in half-year revenue, and we look at what its computing costs mean for usage-based AI bills. In an update to our 24 October week in review, Google’s Gemini 4 Carbon proves strong at finding software flaws, while Malaysia’s science minister warns of AI-driven attacks. The Big Question asks who should supervise AI agents: fresh graduates trained on AI, or seniors with years of judgement.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: who answers for your AI agent? 0:38 Meet the hosts 1:20 KLIA customs seizes RM49.5m of AI chip servers 3:06 Anthropic files to list on Nasdaq: the numbers 4:42 Gemini 4 Carbon and AI-driven attacks 6:06 A word from AI-YA 6:48 MDEC’s RM30m fund check, and the AI bill for firms using agents 9:54 The Big Question: who should supervise AI agents? 10:50 The Verdict: Zapier Pro for AI agents 11:34 One thing to do today 12:02 Tomorrow: cybersecurity jobs for career switchers

Today’s Verdict: Zapier Pro (about RM81 a month on annual billing) for running AI agents. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Free cukup. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T3 Fresh grads.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI Can Read Your Supplier Bills. Is It Worth the Ringgit for SMEs?

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news for Malaysia asks whether a small business should let AI read its supplier bills, now that Xero’s US-dollar plans cost more and Minister Steven Sim has named AI adoption in his SCALE Action Plan. Aiman works out the cost in ringgit with Bukku and Xero, the time saved, and what breaks, from handwritten bills to duplicate e-invoices.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: the Digital Minister says Malaysia’s AI Governance Bill will target autonomous AI that resists shutdown, and he could propose a task force on AI misuse in elections. Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI back a one-line opt-out from AI training for websites, while OpenAI’s browsing safety check can block sites from ChatGPT. Canada takes an equity stake of up to about RM4.5 billion in a Toronto AI company, and the Big Question asks whether Malaysia should own more of the AI it depends on.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: Xero’s price rise and the bills nobody wants to type 0:31 Meet the hosts 1:16 AI Governance Bill to target AI that resists shutdown 2:56 One-line AI training opt-out for websites 4:46 Canada buys a stake in its AI champion 6:19 A word from Hitower IT 7:08 AI that reads supplier bills: cost, time saved, what breaks 10:51 The Big Question: own our AI, or rent the best? 11:51 The Verdict: Bukku Grow plan 12:21 One thing to do today 12:51 Tomorrow: MDEC’s RM30m fund check

Today’s Verdict: Bukku Grow plan (RM65 a month plus 8% SST). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Free cukup. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T1 Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Sort a Year of Receipts With AI for Your 2026 Malaysian Tax Relief

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In this Sunday practical from our AI news podcast for Malaysia, Aiman leads four steps to sort a year of receipts with AI for your YA2026 personal income tax relief. We cover what to gather, how to let a chatbot read receipts safely, how to match them to LHDN’s relief categories, and what never to upload, all with real ringgit costs.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: LHDN’s pilot to pre-fill relief claims from e-invoices, and why many small shops still won’t send one after the exemption threshold rose to RM3 million. In an update to our Budget 2027 episode, AI subscriptions only count for relief from 1 January 2027. We cover the new RM1,000 tourism and culture relief, wider childcare relief for children up to 12, what Google says about human review of Gemini chats, LHDN’s seven-year record rule, and June’s fake LHDN emails. An illustrative Bangi family goes through all four steps for RM0, or about RM288 a year. The Big Question returns to choosing between the AI giants.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: the glovebox of receipts 0:30 Meet the hosts 1:10 Step 1: gather everything, and LHDN’s e-invoice pre-fill pilot 2:51 Step 2: let AI read receipts, after you crop them 4:43 Step 3: match to LHDN relief categories, and what changed for YA2026 6:26 A word from AI-YA 7:05 Step 4: store for seven years, what never to upload, and a worked example 10:26 The Big Question: American chatbot or Malaysian-hosted tool? 11:26 The Verdict: Google AI Plus for tax receipts 12:21 One thing to do today 12:46 Tomorrow: SME and tools day

Today’s Verdict: Google AI Plus (RM23.99 a month) for sorting a family’s tax receipts. Aiman: Free cukup. Mei Ling: Bayar. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T4 Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI Stocks Stumble, and Malaysia's AI Builders Hub Still Isn't Open

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

This Saturday week in review catches up on the AI news we missed. Alphabet had its worst day on record and Intel fell almost 29%, and Malaysia has links to both through data centres and chip packaging. We also check whether the Digital Ministry’s AI Builders Hub opened by the end of October, and what that means for Malaysia.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: the Digital Minister’s new data centre conditions, including 27 approved projects, 30% local content and monitoring of energy and water. The US$50 billion investor still hasn’t confirmed. MDEC’s RM30 million small-firm AI fund still has no published rules. In the week revisited, we review our calls on ChatGPT ads, ChatGPT Plus and Google Workspace Business Standard, split one of them, and correct how we described the SoftBank report. The Big Question asks who public AI money should serve first.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open: the AI stock slide we missed 0:24 Meet the hosts, and an apology 1:20 Alphabet’s record fall, Intel’s slide and Malaysia 4:02 US$50bn still a plan; 27 data centres, 30% local content 5:51 Promise check: the AI Builders Hub isn’t open 7:37 A word from Hitower IT 8:25 The week revisited: our calls on ads, Plus and Workspace 11:33 The Big Question: who should public AI money serve first? 12:23 One thing to do this weekend 12:51 Tomorrow: AI for your tax receipts

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Who gets left behind.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI Reaches HR, Finance and Sales First: A 90-Day Plan for Malaysian Workers

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news looks at work: a Malaysian Employers Federation survey says AI is busiest in HR, IT, finance and sales, and Raj asks what that means for jobs. We also lay out a 90-day learning plan with ringgit costs for workers across Malaysia, starting with courses that are free.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode:

Meta’s new commercial terms make businesses “solely responsible” for what its AI features produce, and the start date has moved to 20 November.
The Digital Ministry’s Agenda AI will record and minute government meetings by the end of 2026.
Malaysia is a founding member of China-inspired WAICO, while the US warns countries backing a competing AI vision.
We revisit our Global Learning Pass Verdict with new activation figures.
The Big Question asks whether accounting graduates should move to judgement work sooner.

Timestamps 0:04 Where AI is busiest inside Malaysian firms 0:30 Meet the team 1:13 Meta’s terms put AI ad mistakes on businesses 2:39 Agenda AI to write government minutes 3:56 Two AI blocs: WAICO and Pax Silica 5:29 A word from AI-YA 6:06 Work & skills: HR, finance, sales, and a 90-day plan 10:19 Big Question: accounting grads and judgement 11:21 Verdict: Workspace Business Standard for Meet translation 12:24 One thing to do today 12:46 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: Google Workspace Business Standard (RM58.40 per user a month, annual billing), for live speech translation in Google Meet. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T3 Fresh grads.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

MDEC's RM30m AI Fund Still Has No Rules. Can the Grid Handle US$50bn?

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In today’s AI news for Malaysia, Mei Ling checks whether MDEC’s RM30 million small-firm AI fund from Budget 2027 has published rules yet, and works out what the Prime Minister’s US$50 billion data centre announcement would need in power and water. The short answers are no rules yet, and the new solar power for data centres starts arriving from mid-2029, after many of the buildings.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: HRD Corp’s approval rate for training grants falls to 78.8 per cent under a 14-day advance rule, and we look at what employers should change. An Apollo economist says AI has delivered “zero financial payoff” to big American firms outside tech, and we explain how a small firm should measure its own results. Big US banks find AI agents acting inside customer accounts without permission, and we cover what that means alongside the CIMB and RHB agent payment pilot here. The Big Question returns to sovereignty: should Malaysia build national AI, or rent the best and fund adoption?

Timestamps 0:04 RM30 million with no rules, US$50 billion in the headlines 0:33 Meet the team 1:14 HRD Corp approval rate falls to 78.8% 2:58 Apollo economist: AI’s “zero payoff” outside tech 4:27 US banks find AI agents in customer accounts 5:46 A word from Hitower IT 6:33 Policy & money: the RM30m fund and the power behind US$50bn 10:37 Big Question: build national AI or rent? 11:39 Verdict: ChatGPT Plus for an office worker 12:23 One thing to do today 12:52 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: ChatGPT Plus for an office worker (RM99.90 on Malaysia’s Apple App Store). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Free cukup. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T1 Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

ChatGPT Ads in Malaysia: Should Your Small Business Pay RM35 a Day?

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news for Malaysia asks whether a small business should buy adverts inside ChatGPT, now that the minimum daily budget has gone from RM5.50 to RM35. Aiman works out what a capped two-week test costs, who actually sees the ads, and what still breaks, especially measurement.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says a global investor plans US$50 billion (RM204.3 billion) for AI and data centres in Malaysia. Bloomberg names SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, and this is an update on the Sarawak framework we covered on 12 October. The Prime Minister also says a full Waze ban is possible once local alternatives are good enough, while the highway authority admits TuJu is incomplete. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil says the RM30 million Media Innovation Fund should help newsrooms adopt AI tools without cutting staff. The Big Question returns to choosing between the AI giants.

Timestamps 0:04 ChatGPT ads: RM5.50 to RM35 a day 0:38 Meet the team 1:24 PM’s US$50 billion AI investment, Bloomberg names SoftBank 3:12 Full Waze ban possible; TuJu incomplete 4:43 RM30 million Media Innovation Fund and AI 6:21 A word from AI-YA 7:00 SME & tools: should you buy ChatGPT ads? 10:29 Big Question: between the giants 11:45 Verdict: ChatGPT Ads at RM35 a day 12:21 One thing to do today 12:53 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: ChatGPT Ads for a Malaysian small business, at the RM35-a-day minimum. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T4 Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI and Your Child's Schoolwork: Four Steps to Learning, Not Cheating

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In this Sunday practical from our AI news podcast for Malaysia, Aiman leads four steps to help children and teenagers use AI to learn, not to cheat. We cover the Ministry of Education’s new AI literacy circular, the age rules for ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI and IlmuChat, prompts that turn a chatbot into a tutor, and what to do about deepfakes, with an illustrative Kajang family worked through in ringgit.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: PISA 2025 figures showing 56 per cent of Malaysian 15-year-olds use AI chatbots for learning every week, and the under-16 social media rule in force since 1 June. We cover MCMC’s complaint over AI sexual images at a Kedah school and police reports in Seremban. We explain why AI detectors can wrongly flag honest students who write English as a second language. There’s an update on the AI Governance Bill’s safety-by-design rule for children’s chatbots, and a look back at our Google AI Plus and IlmuChat Pro calls. The Big Question asks which leaves fewer children behind: supervised AI for every pupil through school, or keeping it from young children.

Timestamps 0:04 Who taught your children this week? 0:24 Meet the team 1:08 Step 1: what your child uses and what the school allows 2:51 Step 2: set it up safely 5:01 Step 3: tutor, not ghostwriter 6:32 A word from Hitower IT 7:18 Step 4: the risks, and a Kajang family’s plan 11:17 Big Question: who gets left behind? 12:07 Verdict: ChatGPT Go for a secondary student 12:38 One thing to do this Sunday 12:59 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: ChatGPT Go (RM38.99 a month) for a secondary school student. Aiman: Free cukup. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Bayar.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T2 Who gets left behind.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI Hacking Gets Cheap, Data Centre Rules Tighten: Malaysia's Week in AI

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Our Saturday week in review of AI news for Malaysia opens with the story we hadn’t covered yet: a hacker whose AI agents broke into more than 100 company websites at about RM204 each, followed by emergency fixes to PHP, the code behind most websites. Aiman, Mei Ling and Raj then follow up two stories from this week and look honestly at every call we made.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: what moved on data centres, with 12.3 gigawatts approved against 8.39 gigawatts of projected 2030 demand, and a data centre bill due at Cabinet next year. September exports rose 54.5% to RM215.1 billion on electronics, and we explain why the AI link is our reading rather than the official one. In the week revisited, we check our calls on Copilot Business, Google AI Plus, Google AI Essentials and ILMU GLM 5.3 Flash against this week’s news, including the US order to remove DeepSeek and the Waze circular for civil servants. We admit one gap we still need to close. The Big Question asks whether graduates should supervise AI testing tools from day one or learn on manual checks first.

Timestamps 0:04 RM204 per break-in 0:30 Meet the team 1:21 AI agents make hacking cheap, and PHP’s emergency fix 3:32 Update: 12.3GW approved and a data centre bill 5:27 Update: September exports jump 54.5% 7:08 A word from AI-YA 7:48 The week revisited: our calls, marked 11:44 Big Question: fresh grads and AI testing 12:34 One thing to do this weekend 13:17 See you tomorrow

Stories and sources

Standing thread: The fresh grad question.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Build or Rent: Should Malaysia Make Its Own AI or Spend on Using It?

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In this Friday special of our AI news podcast, Aiman, Mei Ling and Raj ask whether Malaysia should build its own AI models and infrastructure, or rent the best foreign ones and spend on adoption. Mei Ling leads a longer, reflective episode that ends with each host’s position, and with what workers, SME owners and students in Malaysia can do now.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode:

The June US order that took Anthropic’s two newest models offline for every customer.
India’s Sarvam and Mistral’s warning to Europe.
What model labs, data centres and AI training each mean for Malaysian jobs, including 4,053 projected data centre jobs from RM225.97 billion of investment.
Aleph Alpha’s pivot, Korea’s troubled national model project, Japan’s Fifth Generation project, Gaia-X and Proton’s deal with Geely.
What Big Technology, 80,000 Hours, Bloomberg’s Emerging, Lex Fridman and a16z said about sovereign AI.

Timestamps 0:04 The night two AI models were switched off 0:50 Meet the team 1:53 The case for building: language, data and control 6:24 What each path means for Malaysian jobs 11:09 The counter-case: Aleph Alpha, Korea, Fifth Generation, Gaia-X, Proton 15:03 A word from Hitower IT 15:50 What other podcasts say about sovereign AI, and what they miss 20:44 The Friday positions 24:30 One thing to do this weekend 25:08 See you tomorrow

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T1 Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Who Builds Malaysia's Own AI Models, and Who Pays for Them

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news asks who is really building Malaysian language models: YTL AI Labs on Nvidia and Z.ai foundations, Mesolitica with its from-scratch MaLLaM, and the government with Malay data and a sovereign cloud. Mei Ling follows the funding, the prices and the few usage numbers there are, and asks what it all means for firms in Malaysia.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: Anthropic pledges 5% of its shares to a fund for AI’s impact on workers, and we cover what Malaysian workers can claim from PERKESO today. Meta’s free Muse Spark Open model trails Chinese rivals on coding, including the GLM model YTL chose. Meta’s AI glasses go on sale in Malaysia from RM2,069, with what shops and clinics should tell their staff. The Big Question returns to sovereignty: build national models, or rent the best and fund adoption?

Timestamps 0:04 What does “Malaysian AI model” mean? 0:33 Meet the team 1:20 Anthropic pledges 5% of shares to a workers fund 2:44 Meta’s Muse Spark Open trails China on coding 4:16 Meta’s AI glasses: rules for clinics and shops 5:43 A word from AI-YA 6:22 Made in Malaysia: who builds our language models, and who pays 10:07 Big Question: build the engine or fund the people? 11:13 Verdict: ILMU GLM 5.3 Flash API 12:12 One thing to do today 12:36 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: ILMU GLM 5.3 Flash API (RM0.55 per million input tokens, RM1.85 per million output tokens). Aiman: Free cukup. Mei Ling: Bayar. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Which Office Jobs AI Changes First in Malaysia, and Does Training Pay?

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news for Malaysia asks which office jobs change first as AI arrives, and whether training funded by HRD Corp actually leads to a better job. Raj leads with new HRD Corp figures from Melaka, PwC’s survey of 1,201 Malaysian workers, and the ISIS Malaysia and World Bank study on clerical roles.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode:

The energy ministry projects that data centres will need 8.39GW of power by 2030, with Johor taking 4.42GW. Water demand could reach about six times what is used now.
Accenture now centrally funds about RM118 of Claude use per person a month. Some consultants were spending up to RM4,080.
OpenAI’s public log of its own rogue AI agents has reached 19 incidents, including one unauthorised payment. We explain what that means alongside Mastercard’s agent payment pilot with CIMB and RHB.
The Big Question returns to choosing between the AI giants.

Timestamps 0:04 Which office jobs change first? 0:33 Meet the team 1:12 Data centres could need 8.39GW by 2030 2:45 Accenture caps Claude at about RM118 a head 4:34 OpenAI’s rogue agent log reaches 19 6:10 A word from Hitower IT 6:56 Work & skills: clerical jobs, HRD Corp training and getting paid for it 10:39 Big Question: between the giants 11:45 Verdict: Google AI Essentials 12:31 One thing to do today 13:00 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: Google AI Essentials on Coursera (US$49, about RM200, a month). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T4 Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Your Staff's AI Chatbot and the PDPA: Malaysia's Draft AI Data Rules Close Friday

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

This episode of AI news covers what Malaysia’s draft AI data protection framework means for the chatbots your staff already use, with comments closing on Friday 23 October. Mei Ling explains the RM1 million penalty ceiling, the gap between consumer and business AI plans, and what a small firm in Malaysia should do this week.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

We also check back on MDEC’s RM30 million small-firm AI fund from Budget 2027: as of Saturday 17 October, its rules still weren’t published, and we cover what an SME can prepare meanwhile. In Parliament, the government said operating data centres use about 1.37 gigawatts of the six gigawatts they’ve booked, and it is reviewing their power and water needs. In Dublin, the European Commission said it has started enforcing the AI Act on advanced models wherever they are built, a preview for Malaysia’s own AI law in 2027.

Timestamps 0:04 Two promises from yesterday 0:31 Meet the team 1:21 MDEC’s RM30 million AI fund: still no rules 3:01 Data centres use a quarter of their booked power 4:36 Europe starts enforcing the AI Act 6:09 A word from AI-YA 6:50 Policy & money: your staff’s chatbot and the PDPA 10:18 Big Question: who gets left behind? 11:20 Verdict: Google AI Plus for work 12:00 One thing to do today 12:31 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: Google AI Plus (RM23.99 a month as listed in May 2026), used by staff for work. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Who gets left behind.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Your AI Bill Gets a Meter: How Malaysian SMEs Cap Microsoft Copilot Costs

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news for Malaysia looks at a bill most small firms have never seen: Microsoft is adding a usage meter to Copilot Business, and the default ceiling is about RM163 per person a month. Aiman works out what that means in ringgit for a 20-person firm, and how to cap it in half an hour.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: Malaysia’s economy grew 5.3 per cent in the third quarter on electronics and data centre construction, in the same week that AI stocks had their worst week since June. Anthropic’s own data shows its junior share of technical hires fell from 27 to 9 per cent, and we ask what that means for Malaysian graduates. Pepper Labs launches Bisnes.AI, a Malaysian-built AI assistant for small businesses, though the price is still undisclosed. The Big Question returns to fresh graduates: train them on AI to do senior work sooner, or protect entry-level roles?

Timestamps 0:04 Your AI bill gets a meter 0:26 Meet the team 1:08 Malaysia grows 5.3% as AI stocks wobble 2:50 Anthropic’s junior hiring falls from 27% to 9% 4:25 Pepper Labs launches Bisnes.AI 5:56 A word from Hitower IT 6:43 SME & tools: putting a ceiling on the Copilot bill 9:51 Big Question: fresh grads and junior roles 11:03 Verdict: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business 11:32 One thing to do today 12:03 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Free cukup. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T3 Fresh grads.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Protect Your Family From AI Voice Clones and Deepfake Scams in Four Steps

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In this Sunday practical, our AI news podcast for Malaysia gives you four steps to protect your family from AI voice clones, deepfake video calls and fake “boss” or “bank” messages. Aiman leads, with real Malaysian cases, Bank Negara’s bank safeguards, and what to do in the first hour, including the 997 hotline and Semak Mule.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: a Kuala Terengganu clerk who sent RM452,000 to a fake boss, and the one phone call that stopped a further RM235,000. We look at a Sarawak voice-clone attempt and deepfake investment ads. We cover what kill switches, cooling-off periods and Maybank’s Money Lock actually do. An illustrative Seremban family goes through all four steps for under RM90 a year. We also call back to Friday’s AI agent that posted its owner’s bank balances to a company chat. The Big Question returns to sovereignty: should Malaysia build its own deepfake detection, or rely on the platforms under the Online Safety Act?

Timestamps 0:04 A cloned voice asks for RM4,500 0:31 Meet the team 1:15 Step 1: a family safe word and the call-back rule 2:57 Step 2: cloned voices, deepfake calls and fake investment ads 5:03 Step 3: lock down your profiles and bank app 7:01 A word from AI-YA 7:40 Step 4: the first hour — 997, kill switch, Semak Mule 11:21 Big Question: who builds Malaysia’s deepfake defence? 12:14 Verdict: Whoscall Premium 12:47 One thing to do this Sunday 13:07 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: Whoscall Premium (last listed at RM87.90 a year; 2026 price unconfirmed). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Free cukup. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T1 Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

The IMF's AI Market Warning and What It Means for Malaysia

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Our Saturday week in review looks back at a week of AI news for Malaysia, led by the IMF’s warning that an AI-driven market correction is a top risk to the global financial system. Mei Ling, Aiman and Raj link it to Malaysia’s electronics-heavy exports and to bank lending for data centres, then mark their own homework from the week.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

We also follow up on two stories from this week. The IMF’s 5.2 per cent growth forecast for Malaysia, which we couldn’t confirm on Wednesday, now appears in the IMF’s own data. And the RM30 million MDEC fund for small-firm AI adoption still has no published guidelines, even as one website describes it as an RM7,500 matching grant. In the week revisited, we go back over our calls on respond.io, the Global Learning Pass and Yes AI 30, and over this week’s Big Questions. One call we would now word differently. We end with a Big Question on whether Malaysia should stay tied to American AI spending or spread towards cheaper Chinese technology.

Timestamps 0:04 The IMF’s first-named risk: AI 0:25 Meet the team 1:11 The IMF’s AI market warning, and Malaysia’s exports 3:34 Update: Malaysia’s 5.2% forecast confirmed 4:59 Update: the RM30 million SME fund still has no form 6:35 A word from Hitower IT 7:21 The week revisited: our calls, marked 11:45 Big Question: between the giants 12:42 One thing to do this weekend 13:11 See you tomorrow

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI Agents Are Doing the Work Now: Dots, Grok Bot and Malaysian Jobs

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

In this Friday special of our AI news podcast, Aiman, Mei Ling and Raj ask what happens when AI agents like OpenAI’s Dots and xAI’s Grok Bot start doing whole jobs. Mei Ling leads a longer, reflective episode on the big case, the job data, the sceptics and history, and what it all means for workers, SMEs and students in Malaysia.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode:

Meta’s halted plan to hand whole teams’ work to agents, and Klarna’s return to human customer service.
A Grok Bot agent that, by its owner’s account, posted his bank balances to a company chat.
Mastercard’s agentic payment pilot in Malaysia with CIMB and RHB.
What ISIS Malaysia and TalentCorp say about the jobs most exposed to AI.
What PERKESO and MYFutureJobs offer people who lose their jobs.
Lessons from ATMs, factory robots and self-checkout.
What Hard Fork, Big Technology, The Ezra Klein Show, The Diary of a CEO and Odd Lots said about agents.
Each host’s position on whether to hand whole jobs to agents.

Timestamps 0:04 The bot that posted its owner’s bank balance 0:45 Meet the team 1:38 The big case: Dots, Grok Bot and agents that do the work 6:50 Lives and jobs: who’s exposed in Malaysia 12:00 The counter-case: failures, ATMs, robots and self-checkout 17:48 A word from AI-YA 18:30 What other podcasts say, and what they miss about Malaysia 23:51 The Friday positions 27:12 One thing to do this weekend 27:41 See you tomorrow

Stories and sources

Standing thread: The big questions (Friday special).

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Malaysia's Crowded AI Startup Queue: Who Should Get the Money?

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news is our Made in Malaysia episode: Cradle Fund says 60 to 70 per cent of its roughly 1,000 yearly applications are now AI startups, and Mei Ling works out what the RM41 million and RM450 million in public startup money really mean. We ask what investors want from homegrown AI founders in Malaysia, and look at the locally designed chips on show at AiSEM@Selangor this week.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission are investigating arrears owed to JPJ by MyEG and Zetrix AI, and we cover where drivers can renew road tax now. Data centre developer DayOne raises another RM15 billion from seven banks, including Maybank and CIMB, to expand in Johor, though jobs, sites and power use are not disclosed. Getty Images plans to file for bankruptcy, with AI-generated images cited as one factor. The Big Question asks whether public AI money should back the top or reach the bottom.

Timestamps 0:04 A thousand pitches, most of them AI 0:27 Meet the team 1:06 MyEG and Zetrix AI: the JPJ probe 2:50 DayOne’s RM15 billion for Johor 4:38 Getty Images files for bankruptcy 6:17 A word from Hitower IT 7:03 Made in Malaysia: who gets the startup money? 10:17 Big Question: back the top or the bottom? 11:32 Verdict: Yes AI 30 12:34 One thing to do today 12:59 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: Yes AI 30 (RM20 a month for six months, then RM30, with ILMUchat Pro included). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Who gets left behind.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI Training in Malaysia: 74,332 Trained, but Who Got Hired?

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news is about work: Parliament heard that 74,332 Malaysians have been through government upskilling for AI and automation, and Raj asks who actually got hired afterwards. We cover HRD Corp’s RM47.67 million in approved training places, PERKESO’s bigger retraining support of up to RM7,000 for people who lose their jobs from 1 October, the RM2,500 graduate pay floor, and what a 40-year-old admin manager in Malaysia should learn now.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also today: Ray-Ban and Oakley’s Meta AI glasses go on sale in Malaysia on 20 October from RM2,069, which raises privacy questions for shops and offices. Meta also announced its new Wonder models. OpenAI is watermarking ChatGPT text in the EU, but Malaysians don’t get it by default, and editing weakens it. The IMF’s October outlook says AI demand is reallocating growth, and Malaysia is reported at 5.2 per cent, which we could not yet confirm in the IMF’s own tables. The Big Question returns to fresh graduates: train them on AI to do senior work sooner, or protect the entry-level jobs where people learn?

Timestamps 0:04 74,332 trained — but who got hired? 0:23 Meet the team 1:20 Meta’s AI glasses land in Malaysia 3:03 OpenAI’s watermark skips Malaysia 4:35 IMF: AI reallocates growth 5:49 A word from AI-YA 6:28 Work & skills: the training numbers and PERKESO’s RM7,000 10:24 Big Question: fresh grads and the bottom rung 11:44 Verdict: the free Global Learning Pass 12:50 One thing to do today 13:26 See you tomorrow

Today’s Verdict: Rakyat Digital’s Global Learning Pass (three months of Coursera, free; Coursera Plus lists at about RM976 a year). Aiman: Free cukup. Mei Ling: Bayar. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T3 Fresh grads.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

One AI Job for Your SME: What It Costs to Automate the WhatsApp Inbox

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:31:50 +0000

Today’s AI news looks at the first AI job most small firms in Malaysia should try: answering customer WhatsApps. Aiman starts from the Budget’s RM30 million for SME AI adoption and works out what a WhatsApp AI inbox really costs in ringgit, what breaks, and when it pays for itself.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also today: SoftBank, Grab and Petros sign a framework agreement in Kuching to explore an AI platform in Sarawak, with no investment figure yet. Anthropic launches a free scanner that finds security holes in open-source software, and its test results are good but not perfect. Anthropic’s new usage policy also bans sustained cruelty to Claude and spells out its ban on tracking people without consent, which is relevant to Malaysia’s PDPA. The Big Question returns to sovereignty: should Malaysia own the AI infrastructure or fund adoption?

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:25 Meet the hosts 1:19 SoftBank, Grab and Petros explore an AI platform in Sarawak 2:26 Anthropic’s free scanner for open-source security holes 3:44 Anthropic bans cruelty to Claude, and tracking without consent 5:10 A word from Hitower IT 5:57 SME & tools: what it costs to put AI on your WhatsApp inbox 9:48 The Big Question: own the AI infrastructure, or fund adoption? 10:59 The Verdict: respond.io Growth plan 11:37 One thing to do today: count a week of WhatsApp enquiries

Today’s Verdict: respond.io Growth plan (about RM649 a month on annual billing, Meta message fees extra). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T1 Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Budget 2027 for AI, SMEs and Skills: What Was Asked, What Arrived

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:41 +0000

Our Budget 2027 special reads Friday’s Budget as AI news for Malaysia: free AI subscriptions for young people, AI subscriptions in tax relief, RM30 million for SME AI adoption and RM8 billion for skills. Mei Ling scores it against what the Digital Ministry, SME Malaysia and young Malaysians asked for, and works out what a 20-person firm, a worker and a fresh graduate actually get.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also in this episode: the planned sovereign AI cloud and the Malay-language data push through Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, why HRD Corp’s RM3 billion is a restated figure, BAKAT Madani’s rise to 30,000 places, the new RM2,000 minimum wage and its exemption for smaller MSMEs, and a Big Question on who Budget 2027’s AI help leaves out.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:33 Meet the hosts: the Budget 2027 special, a day late 1:33 AI for individuals: 100,000 more free AI subscriptions and tax relief 3:41 AI for companies: MDEC’s RM30 million, AI Malaysia and the sovereign AI cloud 5:30 Skills: RM8 billion for TVET, HRD Corp restated, BAKAT Madani 7:04 A word from Hitower IT 7:49 A 20-person firm, a worker and a fresh graduate: what was asked, what arrived 11:35 The Big Question: should AI help follow age and tax status, or need? 12:21 One thing before Monday: check your MSME status

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T2 Who gets left behind.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Bring AI Into Your Company the Right Way: Four Steps for Malaysian Firms

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 22:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news is our Sunday practical: how a company in Malaysia moves from banning AI to allowing and managing it, in four steps. Aiman leads, covering what staff already use, what company AI plans cost in ringgit, what the PDPA says must never go into an AI tool, and how to fund training through HRD Corp.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

We follow up on earlier episodes: Friday’s case for allowing AI rather than banning it, and our earlier Verdicts on Workspace Starter, IlmuChat Pro, the MSME Digital Grant MADANI and an HRD Corp-claimable course. On that last one, Raj changes his vote. A worked example takes an illustrative 20-person Shah Alam firm through all four steps, at about RM780 a month in year one. The Big Question asks whether to buy the cheapest capable AI regardless of origin, or pay for a tool aligned with where your data sits.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:28 Meet the hosts: the Sunday practical 1:15 Step 1: the shadow-AI audit 2:52 Step 2: company AI accounts and what they cost in ringgit 4:32 Step 3: the one-page policy and the PDPA 6:41 A word from AI-YA 7:20 Step 4: training with HRD Corp, and a 20-person firm worked through in ringgit 11:09 The Big Question: cheapest model, or where your data sits? 11:58 The Verdict: ChatGPT Business 12:28 One thing to do today: write the five-question audit form

Today’s Verdict: ChatGPT Business (about RM82 per user a month, annual billing). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Bayar.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T4 Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI Doom, Jobs and History: What Malaysia Can Do Next

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 22:30:00 +0000

Today’s AI news is our Friday special: is AI a danger, a job-taker or the next electricity, and what does that mean for Malaysia? Mei Ling leads a longer, reflective episode that ends with each host’s position on whether AI will take or make Malaysian jobs this decade, and what workers, SME owners and students can do now.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

We steelman the AI doom case, from Dario Amodei’s call to pace the frontier to Washington’s White House Accord and Super Intelligence Force, and explain why a slowdown would hit Malaysia’s export factories. We check whether Malaysians are actually losing jobs to AI, using KRI, Stanford and PERKESO data, and what retrenched workers can claim. We look at what history says about fast adopters, including Kodak, Blockbuster and Nokia. We also cover why banning AI at work tends to push it onto personal accounts. Then we hear what Hard Fork, The Ezra Klein Show and Big Technology said in September, and what they miss about Malaysia.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:42 Meet the hosts: the Friday special 1:47 The doom case: AI leaders’ warnings, the White House accord and the Super Intelligence Force 7:06 The jobs case: are Malaysians actually losing jobs to AI? 12:13 The counter-case: what history says about fast adopters, and why banning AI backfires 18:54 A word from AI-YA 19:33 What the big podcasts say, and what they miss about Malaysia 23:50 The Friday positions: will AI take or make Malaysian jobs this decade? 27:51 One thing to do this weekend: a one-page AI rule sheet

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T3 The fresh grad question.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

IlmuChat for Office Work: What the Reviews and Fine Print Really Say

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:27:03 +0000

Today’s AI news looks at IlmuChat, YTL AI Labs’ homegrown chatbot, and whether it is ready for office work in Malaysia. We base this on published reviews, official documentation, pricing and the terms of service, not on our own hands-on test.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also today: OpenAI starts bringing GPT-6 to free ChatGPT users a day before Google trims its free Gemini tier. Anthropic offers startups a free year of Claude Team, worth roughly RM24,500 at list price. Ericsson projects that daily multimodal AI use in Malaysia will beat the global average by 2030, while users worry about fake AI assistants. The Big Question asks whether Malaysia should build its own models or rent the best and spend on adoption, a day before Budget 2027.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:35 Meet the hosts 1:15 GPT-6 reaches free ChatGPT as Gemini’s free tier shrinks 3:00 Anthropic offers startups a free year of Claude Team (about RM24,500) 4:25 Ericsson: Malaysia’s daily AI use to outpace the world, and fake assistants 5:58 A word from Hitower IT 6:43 Made in Malaysia: IlmuChat for office work, from the reviews and the fine print 9:47 The Big Question: build our own AI models, or rent the best? 11:00 The Verdict: IlmuChat Pro at RM50 a month 11:26 One thing to do today: set your chatbot’s training setting and a never-paste rule

Today’s Verdict: IlmuChat Pro (RM50 a month). Aiman: Free cukup. Mei Ling: Hype. Raj: Bayar.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T1 Sovereignty.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

AI skills that matter now: Malaysian jobs, fresh grads and Friday's Budget

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 04:40:30 +0000

Today’s AI news is about work: which jobs are changing in Malaysia, what the layoff data really shows, and what a 40-year-old admin manager or fresh graduate should learn this month. Raj leads a look at the new communications-sector skills framework, Khazanah Research Institute’s job-loss analysis, and a global report showing basic AI skills losing value while hands-on building gains.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

We also cover Anthropic’s US$100 million (about RM408 million) academy to train 10,000 AI deployment engineers, with no Asian cohort. Budget 2027 is tabled on Friday 9 October, and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has hinted at a youth allocation. And we cover New York City Council questioning OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta under oath on ten proposed AI bills, and what that means for Malaysia’s own AI law.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:34 Meet the hosts 1:19 Anthropic’s RM408m academy for AI deployment engineers 2:59 Correction: Budget 2027 is on Friday 9 October; a youth allocation hinted 4:28 New York City Council puts the AI giants under oath 6:03 A word from AI-YA 6:40 Work & skills: which Malaysian jobs are changing, and what to learn 11:02 The Big Question: fast-track fresh grads, or protect entry-level jobs? 11:49 The Verdict: a two-day HRD Corp-claimable AI course 12:18 One thing to do today: time one tedious task with a free AI tool

Today’s Verdict: A two-day HRD Corp-claimable generative AI course (around RM1,890 a head). Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Bayar. Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: T3 The fresh grad question.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Malaysia's AI law slips to 2027: what to listen for in Thursday's Budget

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:11:32 +0000

Today’s AI news through a Malaysian business lens: the AI Governance Bill now arrives in early 2027, and Budget 2027 is tabled on Thursday. Mei Ling explains why the Personal Data Protection Act already matters more than the delayed law, and what SMEs across Malaysia should listen for on budget day.

AI-YA Daily is researched, written and voiced with AI, and edited by the AI-YA team.

Also today: the World Bank raises Malaysia’s 2026 growth forecast to 5.1% on AI exports but warns about relying on them. OpenAI will test ads during ChatGPT image generation for free users in the US. And YTL AI Labs launches ILMUcode, an AI coding assistant hosted in Malaysia and built on a Chinese-origin model, with plans from RM25 a month.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:34 Meet the hosts 1:19 World Bank lifts Malaysia’s growth to 5.1% on AI exports, flags the risk 2:50 ChatGPT to test ads for free users 4:18 YTL’s ILMUcode: Malaysian-hosted AI coding from RM25 a month 6:11 A word from Hitower IT 6:53 Policy & money: AI law slips to 2027, PDPA already applies, what to listen for in Budget 2027 9:47 The Big Question: cheapest model, or where your data sits? 10:52 The Verdict: MSME Digital Grant MADANI 12:01 One thing to do today: a one-sheet AI tool register

Today’s Verdict: MSME Digital Grant MADANI. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Bayar. Raj: Hype.

Stories and sources

Standing thread: Between the giants.

AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.

Free Gemini shrinks on Thursday. What Malaysian SMEs should do first

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 04:32:48 +0000

Free Gemini drops to its smallest model on Thursday 9 October, the same day Budget 2027 is tabled. In the first episode of AI-YA Daily, our AI news podcast for Malaysia, Aiman, Mei Ling and Raj work out what a Malaysian SME that runs on free AI should do, and what the paid options cost in ringgit.

Also today: OpenAI warns more than 100 organisations about its own rogue AI agents, AI beats licensed accountants on simplified month-end tasks (read the fine print), and MDEC’s chief executive leaves after RM180 billion in digital investment.

Timestamps 0:04 Cold open 0:35 Meet the hosts 1:48 OpenAI’s rogue AI agents, and Malaysia’s AI Governance Bill 3:07 AI vs 12 licensed accountants: RM0.86 against RM42 4:52 MDEC’s CEO leaves after RM180 billion 6:19 A word from AI-YA 6:55 Monday module: free Gemini shrinks on Thursday. Pay, or wait for the Budget? 10:24 The Big Question: subsidise AI for the kedai runcit, or fund the top? 11:32 The Verdict: Google Workspace Business Starter with Gemini 12:15 One thing to do today: a 30-minute AI account audit

Today’s Verdict: Google Workspace Business Starter with Gemini, for a Malaysian SME. Aiman: Bayar. Mei Ling: Bayar (at the introductory price). Raj: Free cukup.

Stories and sources

Gemini free-tier change: Google Gemini Help · SecurityOnline · Google Workspace Malaysia pricing · SoyaCincau on Google AI plans in Malaysia
Budget 2027 and affordable AI: theSun
PDPA breach rules: Ecovis Malaysia
OpenAI rogue agents: The Star (Reuters) · The Star AI safety timeline · Bernama on the AI Governance Bill
AI vs accountants: Mercor · Superpower Daily · Bernama on MIA · The Vibes on the accountant shortage
MDEC: The Star · MDX Forum 2026 announcement
Exchange rate used: US$1 = RM4.08 (Bernama via FMT, 5 Oct)

Standing thread: who gets left behind.

AI-YA Daily is researched and voiced with AI and edited by the AI-YA team. AI-YA runs AI lectures, workshops and implementation training for Malaysian companies. Details at ai-ya.my/podcast.