WOMEN in Selangor will receive artificial intelligence (AI) career training under a new state initiative aimed at helping them adapt to the changing digital economy.
State women empowerment and welfare committee chairman Anfaal Saari said the module would be introduced through the “Jelajah Wanita Berdaya Tahan” programme beginning June 6 in the Petaling district.
She said the module, developed in collaboration with TalentCorp, would later be expanded to Hulu Langat, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Selangor and Gombak.
Anfaal said the initiative followed the third “Women and AI” roundtable discussion, themed “Women and AI – Building Resilience in the Digital Era”, organised by Wanita Berdaya Selangor.
The session brought together about 30 policymakers, industry players and representatives from federal and state agencies, including Digital Ministry, Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, TalentCorp, Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), MyDigital Corporation, Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation and the Statistics Department.
The discussion focused on the impact of AI and automation on women-dominated job sectors, digital skills gaps, access to technology and the burden of family care.
Anfaal said input from the roundtable would be used as an official reference for the state government in shaping policies, reskilling and upskilling programmes.
She said the state had received an initial allocation of RM200,000 under the 2026 Selangor Budget to kickstart the “Women and AI” programme.
“Although it was not in the initial plan, the Mentri Besar announced funding for the programme,” said Anfaal, who is also Taman Templer assemblyman.
“The state is also looking at how AI and assistive technology can ease women’s caregiving burden.
“The aim is not to replace caregivers with robots or AI, but to explore devices that can support caregivers, especially those for the elderly.”
She said Selangor had also signed a memorandum of understanding with Ewha Womans University in South Korea to explore the use of devices to monitor the home safety of elderly people.
The state, she added, was also exploring cooperation with Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan, in a pilot study involving a device to provide physiological support for senior citizens.
The roundtable also discussed opportunities for women entrepreneurs to expand through digital platforms.
