WHEN people think of artificial intelligence (AI) talent, the image that often comes to mind is a fresh computer science graduate from a top university.
Gamuda Technologies is challenging that assumption with the Gamuda AI Academy (GAIA), aiming to prove that a career in AI and deep tech is not gatekept by age, background or geography.
Launched in 2024, the academy was set up to bridge Malaysia’s AI talent gap, forging a new generation of AI-proficient professionals and innovators.
So far, more than 350 graduates have passed through the programme across three campuses nationwide – the KL Campus at Gamuda Learning Centre; the Sabah campus at Menara MAA in Kota Kinabalu; and the Sarawak campus, in collaboration with the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) in Kuching.
As the lead trainer for the KL Campus, Mohamed Syafiq Nor Hisham, who has been with GAIA since its inception, said the mission goes beyond technical instruction.
“We have students who come from non-traditional tech backgrounds, mainly outside of the computer science fields,” he said.
“The most rewarding part is when they can finally develop their systems and eventually pivot their career into the tech industry, such as becoming a software engineer.”
Some alumni go on to join Gamuda Technologies, contributing directly to the company’s commercial AI product portfolio, while others are free to explore opportunities elsewhere, a deliberate design that positions GAIA as a talent pipeline for the wider industry.
Wes Lee Wei Fan, now a senior software engineer at Gamuda Technologies, said GAIA shifted his work from mundane tasks like writing code and fixing bugs to building a product end-to-end, utilising AI and large language models (LLMs).
“At GAIA, I had a front-row seat to see the bigger picture. We get to build systems, own the product at the end and get feedback from the people actually using it,” he said.
“It reminded me why I got into this in the first place, and to always remember who we are building these systems for.”
Another graduate, James Imran Miller, tried out e-hailing after leaving his sales role in 2024 to support his family.
During that period, he applied to more than 500 jobs with little luck, while teaching himself data analytics through online modules.
Now, after completing his course at GAIA, he is the manager of the delivery management unit at MyDigital Corporation.
“I had been wrestling with whether to pivot completely into pure software development or use my new tech knowledge to enhance my business and project management skills.
“GAIA demystified the myth that you have to trade one for the other, and I realised that I could merge the two,” he said.
Meanwhile, Raina Radzaif once sat in boardrooms making management decisions in the humanitarian sector, before funding cuts and retrenchment pushed her to reskill at GAIA.
Now, she is the strategic partnerships head at the Muslim Aid Malaysia Foundation.
“I had to take one step back to take two steps forward – going back to ‘school’, so to speak. I felt like a dinosaur meeting people 20 years younger than me,” she said.
“Previously, if I had an idea or a vision of how a process or solution could be, I needed to find a technical professional to solve it.
“Now, being able to do it myself, I understand the building blocks of designing that
solution, and I can start the initial prototyping on my own.”
Siti Sarah Dzulkifli, who is now a customer data engineer at Cloud Space Sdn Bhd, had moved from factory engineering to raising a family to running an online business before GAIA helped her forge a new path.
“GAIA helped me by acting as a bridge that connects these dots. It showed me how I could apply my past experiences and combine them with modern data tools,” she said.
“When considering changing your field, it’s easy to feel like you’re starting from scratch. But the truth is, you are not.
“You can use those experiences as a foundation to build a bridge to your future.”
By welcoming participants regardless of age or prior career stage, GAIA is positioning AI skills as a tool for social mobility, not a privilege reserved for a narrow demographic.
As the academy welcomes its next cohorts, its message remains the same: with the right training and support, AI can be a launchpad for anyone, anywhere in Malaysia, ready to take the leap.
For more details on GAIA, visit www.gamudaai.academy.
