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According to the EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey, 81% of Malaysian employees using generative AI (GenAI) reported significant time savings, with some reclaiming over 15 hours a week
However, there is a catch: 68% of these workers said their workloads had actually increased.
According to the findings, the time saved by AI is often being filled with more human tasks, raising the risk of burnout.
The study, which surveyed 300 employees and 30 employers across Malaysia, revealed that AI is now a massive talent magnet
Opportunities to work with the latest tech became the second most important factor for job seekers.
This shift even overtook traditional perks like workplace location. People do not just want a desk anymore; they want a co-pilot that can handle their spreadsheets.
Yet, a massive training gap persists. Only 12% of Malaysian employees said they received sufficient AI training, even though 76% felt the tech improved their performance.
There was also a glaring disconnect between what bosses thought and what employees felt. Employers overestimated compensation satisfaction by a staggering 25%.
Because of this gap, one in four employees still plan to leave their current roles within the year, seeking better pay, career growth, and, of course, more AI exposure.
Low Choy Huat, the Malaysia People Consulting Leader at Ernst & Young Consulting Sdn Bhd (EY), said employers must combine fair pay with personalised learning to retain talent.
Despite the stress, Malaysian workplace culture is actually trending upwards. Two out of three employees felt trusted and empowered, while 81% felt connected to their teams.
Innovation, efficiency, and quality were cited as the top cultural traits needed for the coming year. Anil Shivadas, a partner at EY, warned that companies must act now to close the skills gap.
"Malaysian organisations that fail to invest in new skills risk losing hundreds of hours per employee each year," Anil added.
