BY ALEXANDRA LORNA & JACINTHA JOLENE
KUCHING: Sarawak will develop an AI Talent Hub aimed at not only nurturing local talent but also attracting international expertise to the state, said Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
He said the hub must be developed as a competitive ecosystem capable of attracting international expertise to Sarawak.
“The development of the Sarawak AI Talent Hub must be competitive in order to attract leading international experts, researchers and engineers.
“Their expertise can be channelled through technology transfer and mentorship,” he said.
He said this in his speech at the launching of AI for Makers in conjunction with the Borneo Makers Festival 2026 held at TEGAS Digital Village here today (Aug 23).
Len, who is also TEGAS chairman, said the initiative was in line with TEGAS’ objective of strengthening local talent in AI while building a strong community of AI practitioners throughout Sarawak.
He also said TEGAS was also targeting the development of local AI models designed and developed by Sarawakian talent.
“Our main objective is to drive the development of local AI models, designed and developed by Sarawakian talent,” he added.
He said several core approaches would be implemented to achieve the target, including increasing AI awareness and literacy, establishing AI Builders Clubs and strengthening TEGAS as an AI talent hub.
He said efforts to strengthen local talent would also be expanded into the commercial sector through the Bootcamp Build & Monetize programme.
“This programme will train participants to develop AI-based solutions and commercialise these innovations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Len said AI technology was now driving labour market trends and creating new career opportunities, particularly in cybersecurity.
He said youths needed to master the technology to produce work more quickly and efficiently, while ensuring that it was used ethically.
Len said the AI For Makers programme, organised by TEGAS in collaboration with the Sarawak Artificial Intelligence Centre (SAIC), marked the first collaboration between the two parties to empower AI talent.
He said the programme focused on developing the “Sarawak AI Brain” by providing a supportive ecosystem and comprehensive training to enable local talent to operate AI technology sustainably and independently.
The two day programme features AI Talks, forums and sharing sessions, skills and AI tool workshops, as well as exhibitions and AI experiences, including a technology test-drive zone.
It also features the AI Code Hackathon and AI Create Creative competitions for school and university categories, involving 20 teams comprising 60 participants competing for total prizes worth RM11,000.
The two day programme is targeting more than 5,000 visitors comprising students, educators, university and college students, government agencies, entrepreneurs and members of the public.
Len said the AI For Makers programme was also a continuation of the Sarawak Career and Training (SCaT) Fair held last June, which attracted more than 30,000 visitors and offered nearly 2,000 job opportunities.
He said AI For Makers was introduced as an evolution of traditional programmes to meet the demands of the digital era, while encouraging makers to embrace AI technology.
He said Sarawak’s digital transformation required a strong focus on human capital and infrastructure development to build a robust community of AI practitioners throughout the state.
