MELAKA: At 81, retired Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) employee Lim Tee Ming is no stranger to technology, having started using computers in the 1980s.
But he is still finding new things to learn.
After attending a community artificial intelligence (AI) workshop organised by the Crisis Relief Squad of MCA (CRSM), Lim said he gained a better understanding of how to interact with AI tools, particularly the importance of giving precise instructions to get the desired results.
“You have to catch up because otherwise you'll be left behind,” he said when met.
Lim was among residents of different ages who attended the first session of the community initiative, which is being held in Melaka for the first time.
The programme, titled “AI in the Community - A Smart Living Experience”, is organised by CRSM with the support of Barisan Nasional candidates Melvin Chua Kiew Wei, who is contesting Kota Laksamana, and Jasmine Lok Huey Yee (Bandar Hilir).
CRSM executive secretary Xilas Ngang Wei Xiang said the initiative grew out of the organisation's community service activities, including health screenings, where residents had expressed interest in learning how AI could help them.
“Many people are using AI, but we realised that quite a number, especially senior citizens, do not really know how to use it,” he said.
He said the workshops introduced AI through familiar platforms such as WhatsApp, allowing participants to explore its functions without having to download additional applications or pay for expensive courses.
Beyond creating pictures and videos, Ngang said AI could also serve as a personal assistant, helping older people set reminders for medication and medical appointments. Younger participants, meanwhile, could explore its applications in preparing resumes, improving job applications and identifying business opportunities.
For driver Mazlan Mansof, 56, from Ipoh, the workshop revealed features he had not previously explored, despite occasionally using AI for work and online searches.
“I had seen Meta AI on WhatsApp but did not know what it could do. Today, I learnt about its different functions, including how to create pictures,” he said.
Mazlan also created his first video using an AI tool during the session, although he acknowledged that he needed more practice to improve his prompts.
He hoped more workshops would be organised to help people make better use of technology.
“Even if we buy an expensive smartphone, there is little point if we only use WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok without exploring its other functions,” he said.
Another participant, 67-year-old Jude Edmond, said he was familiar with Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini but had not realised that Meta AI was also available through WhatsApp.
He hoped more workshops would be held to help people keep up with new AI features.
For 25-year-old job seeker Ezekiel Hendricks, who holds a diploma in mechatronics engineering, the session offered an introduction to using AI beyond simple image editing.
He said he learnt the importance of giving clear and precise prompts to get the desired results.
Ngang said Melaka was the starting point for the initiative, with CRSM hoping to eventually bring the programme to communities nationwide, including Orang Asli settlements.
