Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh: Navigating The Good, The Bad & The Ugly With AI

KUALA LUMPUR, November 2, 2026 -- Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh advocates approaching AI with “curiosity, not fear”. And, with enough common sense not to “believe everything it tells you”.

“Sometimes, we hear of this phrase “AI Hallucination” – which is very true. You do not need to accept all that AI tells you. You also do not need to become an AI engineer to participate in the AI economy but you do need to become AI-literate to discern for yourself right from wrong, good from bad,” he said.

“Continuous learning is essential. Build the skills that complement technology, critical thinking, creativity, communication, leadership and sound judgement. Then, experiment practically. Start with a small everyday problem, see how AI can help, verify the results and build confidence from there,” he added emphasising that the goal is not simply to learn how to use AI – but also to learn how to work alongside it responsibly.

Technology, he asserts, drives meaningful human impact when it is applied to “a genuine need than used for technology’s sake”. According to him, Data and AI for example, can help organisations “make faster and better-informed decisions, improve healthcare and public services, and create more personalised experiences”.

Drawing upon his own career experience throughout his career, he shared how he has witnessed data-driven solutions help businesses “become better versions of themselves” – more efficient, more responsive and more capable of serving people well.

“That is the impact that interests me, not simply making a system smarter but making the outcome better for the people who depend on it. Innovation becomes meaningful when intelligence is translated into better outcomes for people,”

“But there is one principle I would not compromise on: Progress must remain human-centred and responsible. We should be ambitious about what technology can do, and equally thoughtful about what it should do.

The goal is not simply to learn how to use AI; it is to learn how to work alongside it responsibly. “Do not compete with technology at being technology. Strengthen the qualities that make you distinctly human.”

Surviving AI & Rising Together

Rationalising that since no business succeeds in isolation, working alongside associations like the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) is of importance.

“We grow because of our people, our customers and the communities around us. When we are fortunate to be in a position to contribute, I believe it is only right that we do so. I do not think of philanthropy as something grand. (Rather), it is about doing what you can, where you can, when the opportunity arises – through time, resources, experience or simply showing up,” said the Special Advisor of the MRCA Foundation who believes in the power of the strength in numbers.

“What I appreciate about the MRCA Foundation is the spirit behind it – bringing people together not simply as members of the business community but as members of society who recognise that we can collectively make a difference.

“One person can help but when a community brings together its ideas, networks, time and resources around a shared purpose, the impact can become much greater and more sustainable. My hope is that the Foundation continues to touch lives in practical ways – especially by helping people through difficult circumstances and creating opportunities for them to move forward with greater confidence and dignity,” he added.

Leading Responsibly In An Age of AI

In essence, leadership in the AI era is no longer just about driving innovation but is about taking responsibility for the consequences of innovation.

“Ambition has to travel with ethics, trust, security and human-centred thinking. Before deploying technology, leaders should ask: Does this create opportunity? Does it empower people? Does it improve lives?” he opined.

Raising the rhetoric: “Can we explain and stand behind the way it is being used? If the answer is no, then being technically possible is not enough. Human connection becomes even more important because empathy, judgement and purpose cannot be treated as optional features,” he shared.

“We are not simply building a more digital future but are determining what kind of future we want to live in,” he emphasised, explaining that leadership is simply not measured by “how quickly one adopts the future but by how responsibly one shapes it”.

“Relevance is not about adopting technology first; it is about creating value responsibly and continuously. The question is not only how far AI can go but how wisely we choose to take it there. I personally view AI as a form of technology with immense potential, (and) yet, at the same time I view it with much caution due to the possible impact it could bring to humanity – good and bad, depending on how humans use it. (Hence), I believe that the future of AI will be defined as much by our judgment as by our ingenuity,” he concluded.

Humanity & AI – A Double Edged Sword or Humanity Alongside AI

And this is the point he cannot emphasise enough in an Age of AI – where the end goal and one principle that should not be compromised on is that “Progress must remain human-centred and responsible”. He further stressed that “while society should be ambitious about what technology can do” it should also be “equally thoughtful about what it should do.”

“Technology may connect devices but humanity connects people,” he affirmed.

“Humanity is essential (in an Age of AI). AI can make us faster and more efficient but empathy, trust, creativity, humour and meaningful relationships remain profoundly human. Those qualities are what make organisations worth believing in and communities worth belonging to.”

But, at the heart of it all – even with AI changing the landscape of everything that once was familiar to us – is the crucial point he makes in that humanity is essential.

“AI can make us faster and more efficient but empathy, trust, creativity, humour and meaningful relationships remain profoundly human. Those qualities are what make organisations worth believing in and communities worth belonging to. Hence, the interesting paradox – in that, the more technology mediates our lives, the more we value genuine human connection.

“A perfectly optimised message is still not the same as someone looking you in the eye and truly understanding you. That applies in schools, workplaces, families and society at large,” he said.

The key distinction is that while technology may connect devices – it is humanity which connects people – hence, making this quality highly prized even as there are faster advances in AI agents, autonomous systems and humanoid robotics in the near future.

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Source: "Genesis of AI" by Yvonne Yoong, Paparazzi, 27 October 2026. https://paparazzi.com.my/newthemepaparazzi/2026/10/27/12483/

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