KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) sees the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) as not replacing workers, but rather as an effective instrument to enhance human capabilities in decision-making as TNB continues its digital transformation journey towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Representing TNB at the Gartner APAC CIO Leadership Forum 2026 in Sydney recently, TNB Chief Digital and Information Officer Azlan Ahmad said meaningful transformation on a national scale requires efforts to bridge the gap between two long-standing organizational cultures.
The culture is an engineering mindset that focuses on building systems and an information technology mindset that focuses on problem solving.
By encouraging collaboration between the two fields, the utility company aims to ensure that as the national grid becomes smarter, the workforce itself will be more competent.
“Success in the transformation is not only measured through the use of technology, but also through the psychological readiness of the organization,” he said at the forum.
He said the efforts were strengthened through the TNB Value Potential Harnessing Program, an organization-wide framework designed to ensure that each initiative delivers measurable results in terms of profitability, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.
To address the challenges of the transition, Azlan stressed the importance of involving employees based on their different levels of readiness to accept change.
He also highlighted the different perspectives between users who quickly accept new technologies and conservative engineers who prioritize the stability of critical control systems.
According to him, a human-centric approach requires building trust and maintaining deep engagement with long-standing employees before implementing any digital initiatives.
“By addressing concerns about job security and elevating the role of the workforce from manual tasks to higher-value advisory roles, technology serves as a nervous system that helps humans navigate complex energy transitions,” he said.
TNB believes that the journey towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is guided by intelligence and empathy, as well as being driven by the great benefits that AI can bring to the country.
“This effort is not just about upgrading the grid but the evolution of the country’s legacy, by empowering the workforce to become co-creators of the digital future,” said Azlan.
He said through this approach, TNB strives to ensure that Malaysia’s ever-evolving energy landscape remains resilient, inclusive and better in the future.
The forum is an important platform to demonstrate TNB’s maturity in developing AI, not just following industry trends to focus on the psychological readiness and operational resilience required by a future-ready workforce.
— BERNAMA
