Gamuda Berhad announced the launch of Gamuda AI Academy, a pioneering initiative set to cultivate the next generation of Generative AI (artificial intelligence) talents for Malaysia, utilising the power of Google Cloud’s cutting-edge products.
YB Gobind Singh Deo, Digital Minister of Malaysia, officially inaugurated the academy, underscoring the government’s support for this transformative project.
“Malaysia’s tech ecosystem is booming thanks to the MADANI government’s strategic initiatives and commitment to turn the nation into a leading digital economy in the region. As public-private partnerships are pivotal to strengthening the digital ecosystem in Malaysia, this is a timely collaboration between Gamuda and Google Cloud, two giants with an important goal to help build Malaysia’s AI talent pool. Technology has been making waves in the construction industry – from autonomous tunnel boring machines to digital twins. Modernising the workforce and keeping up with the latest developments are crucial to avoid falling behind. I am pleased that Gamuda and Google Cloud are deeply invested in local talent growth,” said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
The Gamuda AI Academy offers a comprehensive three-month curriculum, focusing on full-stack AI development, including front-end, back-end, and AI technologies. The programme is open to students, graduates, industry professionals, and start-up founders, providing hands-on experience through lectures, labs, Google Cloud Skills Boost and a capstone project. Participants also have the option to extend their training with a three-month internship at Gamuda or its partner organisations.
The Academy is yet another collaboration with Google Cloud that leverages its data and AI capabilities to develop and deploy scalable solutions enhanced by Gamuda’s advanced use cases, including the award-winning autonomous tunnel boring machine (TBM) and Building Information Modelling Augmented Reality (BIMAR).
John Lim Ji Xiong, Gamuda’s Group Chief Digital Officer, highlighted the academy’s strategic alignment with the nation’s digital aspirations: “The Gamuda AI Academy is our direct response to the call for a digitally empowered workforce. As we nurture the next generation of AI professionals, we are not just imparting technical expertise. We aim to position Malaysia as a global hub for AI and digital innovation, thereby accelerating the transition towards a high-income nation characterised by a highly-skilled workforce.”
Serene Sia, Country Director, Malaysia and Singapore, Google Cloud, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership: “Gamuda has been at the forefront of digital skilling, enabling the company to excel in digital innovation. We’ve witnessed firsthand how they converted engineering and construction experts with no IT or data science background into skilled AI practitioners through Google Cloud skills training. These individuals are now leading digital transformation within Gamuda, leveraging Google Cloud capabilities to build enterprise-grade AI tools that their entire workforce is using to boost productivity. Gamuda’s commitment extends beyond upskilling its own employees; they are actively cultivating Malaysia’s broader AI talent pool with the launch of their AI Academy. We are proud to partner with them on this endeavour and investment in human capital by providing the same proven expertise and resources that we developed specifically to train and certify our own in-house AI experts.”
Technologies like AI are revolutionising the engineering and construction industry. AI is poised to become an indispensable tool, assisting engineers and architects by rapidly generating and evaluating a range of design options and optimising structures for both functionality and aesthetics whilst reducing carbon impact. Moreover, AI’s ability to analyse vast datasets collected from construction sites will empower project teams to make informed, data-driven decisions, proactively addressing potential issues and minimising costly delays throughout the entire construction lifecycle.
For more information about the Gamuda AI Academy, visit https://gamudaai.academy/
