Joining Microsoft after a year-long break at a time of unprecedented AI transformation made me realize once again how swiftly businesses adapt to change. I saw organizations transition from brick-and-mortar models to digital platforms, and from sporadically using digital tools to fully driving AI transformation to upscale their business – all within months.
In 2025, AI will do more and do it better than before.
AI will become even more integral to our daily lives and work – solving complex problems in science, law, and healthcare with greater accuracy. AI-powered agents will become increasingly capable of handling both the mundane and complex tasks in the workplace, freeing up time for users to prioritize.
Importantly, sustainability will also be a key focus, as AI is expected to become more resource‑efficient over time. These advancements are not just about technology – they represent Microsoft’s commitment to a more sustainable and innovative future.
Industries innovating with Cloud and AI
These trends are already being reflected in the way organizations leverage AI. A recent study commissioned by Microsoft through IDC reveals that 92% of people surveyed use AI for productivity, and 43% say productivity use cases have provided the greatest ROI. At the Microsoft Cloud and AI Summit Malaysia, we heard firsthand from local organizations on the different ways of adopting AI.
When sharing about how PETRONAS is pioneering a breakthrough in the energy sector, Izwan Ismail, Vice President, Group Technology & Commercialization, PETRONAS spoke about how AI has emerged as a key driver in the global energy transition.
He said, “AI is proving to be an indispensable tool to tackle the energy trilemma – enhancing energy security, optimizing operations, and accelerating the transition to cleaner energy. It is not a distant possibility – AI is here, reshaping our industry in real-time and the time to act is now.”
The rapid pace of technological advancement presents organizations with opportunities to enhance products, services, and overall business value. Companies leveraging cloud capabilities are best positioned to capitalize on these innovations.
QI Group is one such example. Operating in over 30 countries, this multinational conglomerate spans industries including education, travel and leisure, and retail. To enhance efficiency, QI Group migrated its e-commerce platform to Microsoft Azure, leveraging its integrated tools to streamline operations. Processes that once took up to two weeks can now be completed in under an hour.
“With Microsoft Cloud, we’ve automated security investigations and operational workflows, significantly reducing response times while improving accuracy and reliability,” said Gavin Soon, Head of Platforms at QNET, a subsidiary of QI Group.
Ranked among the top banks in Malaysia with more than 13,000 employees, RHB Bank believes that a top-down approach is crucial to drive user adoption of a transformative technology like AI. Michelle Liew, Head of Group Customer Experience at RHB Bank shared, ”The business impact has been profound. Leveraging Azure OpenAI has enabled us to streamline processes, foster innovation across functions, whilst maintaining the highest level of security.
AI has made it easier for RHB-ians to search for information quickly and accurately, ensuring our customers receive a more seamless and efficient banking experience.”
Silverlake, a leader in financial technology providing core banking solutions, shared their experience with AI transformation. Group Chief Executive Officer Cassandra Goh said, “Generative AI has helped break down silos to encourage information sharing among departments, fostering a culture of innovation across our organization.”
Silverlake group recently introduced CatgWorkz. Powered by Microsoft Azure, this is a purpose-built solution combining AI, pre-configured templates, modular infrastructure, and seamless integration capabilities to address the unique needs of financial institutions. With CatgWorkz, organizations can automate up to 80% of routine tasks to reduce costs and boost productivity.
Empowering every function with AI skills
While it is encouraging to see more local organizations realizing the benefits of AI to innovate and upscale, to ensure that AI truly benefits people from all walks of life, Microsoft also announced the AI for Malaysia’s Future (AIForMYFuture) initiative, committing to skill 800,000 people with AI by the end of 2025.
To achieve this target, AIForMYFuture will be executed through: Multi-stakeholder collaboration to drive AI fluency; Supporting industry AI-readiness and adoption; Building future-ready talent through education; Developing an inclusive AI Economy; and Empowering our future workforce.
As part of the initiative, Microsoft will work with multiple partners, including Biji-biji Initiative, HRD Corp, International Women’s Federation of Commerce and Industry Malaysia (IWFCIM), Jobstreet by SEEK, PepperLabs, MyDIGITAL Corporation, the National TVET Council (MTVET) Secretariat, and Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp).
This builds on our previous skilling commitment as part of Microsoft’s Bersama Malaysia initiative, successfully upskilling more than 1.53 million people in Malaysia from April 2021 to December 2023, in the areas of digital, cloud, AI, and cybersecurity to name a few.
AI in the year ahead
The era of AI is here and as we step into an increasingly AI-powered future, it is fundamental that we come together to expand AI adoption across all parts of the nation.
With the Malaysian government’s efforts to advance AI transformation for our nation through incentives as part of the 2025 National Budget as well as the establishment of the National AI Office, I am positive about the potential for Malaysia and look forward to continue driving large-scale AI impact in 2025.