Avanade Launches its Inaugural Generative AI Lab in Kuala Lumpur

• Allow businesses to explore opportunities through workshops and demonstrations
• Survey shows 85% of organizations globally expect AI to increase revenue growth by 2025​

Avanade, a leading global Microsoft solutions provider, has established its premier Generative AI Lab in Southeast Asia. According to the company, this underlines Avanade’s steadfast dedication to "foster innovation, enable industry transformation, and grow local talent in the region".

Strategically located in Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) in the central financial district of Kuala Lumpur, the state-of-the-art lab will function as a centre of excellence where organizations will be able to explore opportunities AI by experimenting with and co-creating generative AI solutions in an accountable manner. The lab's main aim is to help businesses unlock the real value of their data through hands-on workshops and demonstrations, while invigorating growth and promoting an AI-first mindset in the corporate scene.

Statistics drawn from Avanade's Trendlines research suggests a highly encouraging future for AI globally, with 85% of surveyed organizations foreseeing revenue growth stoked by AI by 2025. The lab offers a unique array of features to magnify the capabilities of AI to organizations. These include ‘Chatting with Your Data’, which allows interactive engagement with data without the need for complex dashboards, and 'Real-Time Voice Analytics', which derives insights from a company's conversations with their customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Avanade Southeast Asia's Managing Director, Bhavya Kapoor stated, “With AI reshaping industries and redefining the relationship between people and technology, our Generative AI Lab is the ideal platform for our clients to reimagine their products and services and picture the future of work for their employees. This move also signifies our commitment to unleash the transformative capabilities of AI in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, thereby placing these regions at the forefront of the AI revolution."

Founded in 2000 as a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft, Avanade now operates in 24 countries around the world, and counts as its clients government agencies and enterprise organisations in various industries. 

In a broader perspective, Tortoise Media's Global AI Index, which measures AI advancements in 62 countries, ranks Malaysia 44th, far behind Singapore in third place. This comparison, which evaluates pillars like investment, innovation, and implementation. While Malaysia earns high points in the 'operating environment' and 'infrastructure' measures, the nation lags in talent, research, and commercial development, making this investment by Avanade a timely boost in the nation's ambitions.