Malaysians upbeat on AI’s daily benefits, but less sure it will help job market and economy, Ipsos survey finds

by Theleaders | June 16, 2026 11:30 am

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — Malaysians are broadly optimistic about artificial intelligence and its impact on daily life and work, but remain less certain that the technology will improve the wider job market and national economy, a new survey has found.

According to the Ipsos AI Monitor 2026, the strongest positive sentiment was seen in the workplace, with 82 per cent of Malaysians saying AI tools had saved them time at work in the past year.

This was higher than the global average of 62 per cent.

“China leads the region in its enthusiasm towards AI, while Malaysians share the broader Asian outlook and remain confident in AI’s potential,” the report said.

On overall sentiment, 70 per cent of Malaysians said AI products and services had more benefits than drawbacks.

This was lower than China’s 85 per cent, but above the global average of 55 per cent and higher than Western Europe and the United States, where the figures stood at 44 per cent and 38 per cent respectively.

Seveteny per cent of Malaysians said AI products and services made them excited.

This compared with the global average of 51 per cent, 83 per cent in China, 38 per cent in Western Europe and 33 per cent in the United States.

The survey also found that 84 per cent of Malaysians said AI was likely to change how they do their jobs in the next five years, also above the global average of 62 per cent.

The survey was conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform between March 20 and April 3 this year, involving 23,532 adults across 32 countries.

In Malaysia, Ipsos surveyed 500 adults aged 18 to 74.

Ipsos noted that samples in Malaysia and several other countries were more urban, educated or affluent than the general population, and should therefore be viewed as reflecting the views of the more “connected” segment of the population.

Source URL: https://theleaders-online.com/malaysians-upbeat-on-ais-daily-benefits-but-less-sure-it-will-help-job-market-and-economy-ipsos-survey-finds/