The AI Malaysia Takeover 2026 (AIMTO_26) has brought government, industry leaders, investors and the wider AI community to explore how Malaysia can turn its growing interest in AI into practical skills and real-world applications.
The event saw Digital Minister YB Gobind Singh Deo unveil the new Rakyat Digital portal, while speakers including Khairy Jamaluddin, Shahril Hamdan, Dr Rainer Deutschmann, Paul Copplestone, Khailee Ng and Foong Chee Mun shared their views on Malaysia’s growing AI ecosystem.
AIMTO_26 featured discussions on Malaysia’s AI economy and the country’s path from building AI capabilities to becoming more competitive, with representatives from Microsoft, Global AI Village and YTL AI Labs taking part.
One of the biggest highlights was the Learn-A-Thon, which attracted more than 1,000 participants ranging from beginners to experienced developers. With help from facilitators and mentors, participants spent the event turning their ideas into working AI-powered products – enough to earn the initiative recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records for the largest artificial intelligence AI Learn-A-Thon.
YTL AI Labs also gave participants free access to ILMUchat, its Malaysian-developed AI platform designed to understand local context and run on Malaysian sovereign infrastructure. Teams used it to create everything from AI agents and websites to games and practical tools, including a Duit Raya Planner, Traffic Light Simulator and knowledge databases designed to provide shared context for multiple AI agents. Participants also received one month of free ILMUchat access, allowing them to continue experimenting after AIMTO_26.
Additionally, YTL AI Labs will work with KrackedDevs on a three-month builder programme, giving Learn-A-Thon participants another opportunity to continue working with ILMUchat and develop the projects they started during AIMTO_26.
With thousands attending and more than 1,000 people getting hands-on experience during the Learn-A-Thon, AIMTO_26 is positioning practical experimentation as an important part of Malaysia’s next step in AI development.
