In the past, the thought of operating a fully automated smart warehouse or factory, or having robots to handle all menial manufacturing processes seemed like a dream in the distant future.

However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, robotics, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is the norm, transforming manufacturing companies, factories and every industry to become smarter.

Yet, as the world embraces Industrial Revolution 4.0 very quickly, especially with the global pandemic, digital adoption and digitalisation of Malaysian industries remain staggeringly low.

This is where Imagine AI Sdn Bhd can step in, offering AI, automation and robotics solutions at a reasonable pricing. This is after its Chief Executive Officer Edwin Loh did a study on the Malaysian industries in general.

“We realise that Malaysian industries, especially SMEs (small and medium enterprises), depend a lot on low-cost foreign labour, such as migrant workers from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam. At the same time, there is a high cost of implementing automation and AI solutions, as it is usually foreign companies offering these solutions. This has resulted in Malaysian companies lagging behind other competitors who have already adopted digital transformation to enhance their businesses,” he said in a recent interview.

“We saw an opportunity to fill the gap by providing automation and AI solutions to Malaysian industries and SMEs at a lower cost as we are a local company offering local solutions. This will benefit Malaysian businesses and make AI solutions affordable in Malaysia,” said Loh.

Fast-growing company with sincere roots

Imagine AI is a solutions provider for Automation, AI Vision and Robotics. Established in 2019, their vision is to shape the future production landscape through being a technology company that builds the digital infrastructure for modern manufacturing. The company delivers automation, AI Vision and Robotics solutions to help transform companies, businesses and production processes.

“We are one of the fastest growing AI companies in Malaysia now. We have grown a lot since 2020, and in four years, we have now deployed our solutions in: 

i) Manufacturing, for AI Vision Quality Control Inspection, 

ii) Agriculture, for grading and sorting of produce and 

iii) General Business digitisation, AI data extraction and automation,” said Loh.

Loh also said with people’s scepticism about AI, it is important for the company to have sincerity and transparency as core values in order to provide honest communication with their clients or partners

“No matter if it is with stakeholders, vendors, investors or teammates, from the beginning we have always adopted a stance of honesty and transparency in our communication. They have to understand and know what we are doing, what we can and cannot do, and we have to set clear project goals and project delivery. This builds up trust along the way,” he said.

Joy, pride and collaboration - the formula for Imagine AI’s success

These values and Loh’s tenacity to drive the company forward has earned him the coveted Golden Bull Awards for the year 2024, with Imagine AI winning the Emerging Bull Award.

“One key milestone I would like to share is the joy of working with my colleagues, the way we have grown from one to two people to now becoming 40+ staff. Everyday, I wake up eager to work with my friends and colleagues and grow the company together. Not many people have the opportunity to work with a bunch of passionate individuals to promote AI awareness in Malaysia,”

I feel joy and pride to work with them, therefore this is not just my journey, and winning this award is not my achievement alone,” he said.

When asked about any sustainability practices or social initiatives, Loh said Imagine AI often participates in school competitions and organising school visits, as well as participating in industry and knowledge sharing and also talent development.

“We believe that this knowledge and technology does not only belong to us, it should be open for everybody to use, therefore we always encourage people to know and learn about it. Once they know and want to get into the industry, they will be building the ecosystem for AI. We are passionate about sharing knowledge and people can visit our AI lab for free, with the hope that as more Malaysian students pick this up, Malaysia can be a prominent AI hub in the region. Our goal is to make AI solutions accessible and affordable to everyone, hence our company’s motto: Imagine the Future, Imagine AI For Everyone,” he said.

Moving forward, Loh shared that they are constantly working on different projects involving AI, as AI develops and changes really quickly.

“We recently launched an AI robot presenter, which allows any business to upload any document (PowerPoint, Word or Excel document), and the AI can generate a script and an AI Robot presenter to present the document in a video format. The audience can also ask the AI Robot presenter questions anytime. We have also developed an AI translation tool that can easily translate documents and speech into any foreign language, so that it will be useful for Malaysian companies when it comes to dealing with foreign workers or doing business with other countries,” he said.

He added that he encourages businesses to try and participate in the Golden Bull Awards and leverage its expanding network and diverse clientele to boost their presence.

“You should benchmark yourself with what is available out there nationally and internationally. You may expand your market and network through this opportunity and it is very useful,” he said.

Want to learn more about  AI, automation and robotics ? Head on to Imagine AI’s website and Facebook page to learn more about their journey and knowledge sharing.

This series of Business Stories is in collaboration with Golden Bull Award.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.