Novel AI Technologies and the Future of Work in Malaysia

World Bank

Published

03 Aug 2026

Coverage

Malaysia

Technology has continually reshaped work, driving economic, social, and political change across human history, and novel AI technologies are the latest in this trajectory. From the Neolithic Revolution and the invention of agriculture and domesticated farming some 12,000 years ago, through to the rise of computerization in the 1980s and industrial robots in the 2000s, technological advancements have transformed how work is structured, who performs it and more importantly, who benefits (and who does not). These shifts are shaped by technological capabilities, but also how technology interacts with institutional and policy choices. Generative AI builds on past waves of automation technologies to a new boundary hitherto untouched by capital: the automation of cognitive tasks previously thought to be the exclusive domain of human ability. Technological change is widely regarded as a universal force for advancement. The invention of agriculture enabled surplus food production and spurred the rise of civilizations, while the Industrial Revolution enabled unprecedented gains in productivity and incomes, albeit initially for a privileged few. More recently, digital technologies have revolutionized global communication, expanded access to knowledge and education, reduced transaction costs, and democratized innovation worldwide. Viewed over the span of centuries, each wave of technological change throughout human history appears to have uplifted humanity, reinforcing the perception that technology is both an inevitable and universal force for good. In this context, any attempt to control or guide its trajectory can appear futile or even at odds to the ideals of continued social and economic progress.