A Malaysian artificial intelligence project is being tested to reduce the time vocational instructors spend preparing teaching materials. Developed by the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training (CIAST), AI-WIM for TVET aims to simplify work that previously took between eight and 12 months. Department of Skills Development director-general Dr Kamaruzaman Md Ali said the time required depended on the number of competency units in the relevant National Occupational Skills Standard, or NOSS.

The system assists with several parts of Written Instructional Material, including theory lesson plans, information and assignment sheets, practical lesson plans and job sheets. Instructors upload a PDF containing the occupational standards, and the system organises the information before generating teaching content. CIAST Research, Innovation and International Division head Dr Norhayati Yahaya said the process uses AI and cloud computing technologies. The aim is to free instructors to concentrate on classroom delivery and student engagement.

Human review remains a required part of the process. Facilitators and instructors must check the generated materials for accuracy, quality and suitability for both theoretical learning and practical work. Norhayati explained that the system follows a human-in-the-loop approach, so automated output is not accepted without review. The project updates a teaching-material structure used in the Malaysian Skills Certification System since 1996.

Development began in 2025, and testing is continuing with training centres and industry participants. Additional functions are planned before the official launch. The project was also selected among 29 leading entries from 130 submissions across 20 countries for presentation at the WorldSkills Conference, held alongside WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026. The selection gave the Malaysian team an opportunity to present its work to an international skills-training audience.