WHAT happens when people begin to trust a machine more than another human being? It is a question that would have seemed almost unimaginable a generation ago.
Today, as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in education, workplaces, businesses and everyday life, it is becoming an increasingly important question for society and one that professionals can no longer afford to ignore.
At the Professional Conference and Exhibition (Profex) 2026, held from Sept 29 to 30, this question was part of a much larger conversation about Malaysia’s future.
The discussions highlighted the need for professionals to preserve ethical principles, strengthen public trust, embrace cross-disciplinary collaboration and ensure that technology remains a tool that serves humanity rather than a substitute for human judgement, responsibility and connection.
Organised by Balai Ikhtisas Malaysia (BIM), under the leadership of Prof Dr Juan Joon Ching, president of BIM, and themed “Uniting Professions, Transforming Malaysia’s Future,” Profex 2026 brought together professionals, industry leaders, academics, government representatives, policymakers, innovators and young people.
The significance of Profex went beyond the gathering of professional bodies. It was, in many ways, a conversation about what it means to remain a professional in a world where technology is advancing faster than institutions and where human trust is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
One of the strongest messages emerging from Profex 2026 was that professional excellence cannot be separated from professional ethics.
In an era of AI, automation and rapid digital transformation, technical knowledge alone is no longer enough. Professionals are expected not only to know what can be done but also to consider what should be done.
The point is deceptively simple. A professional qualification provides expertise. Professional ethics determine how that expertise is used. Whether one is a chemist, engineer, doctor, architect, lawyer, accountant, scientist or technology professional, decisions made in the course of professional work can have consequences far beyond the workplace.
This message resonated strongly in the reflections of academician Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor, senior fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, who highlighted the importance of understanding and living by the ethics of one’s profession, which makes integrity, accountability and governance essential components of professional identity.
BIM itself describes its mission around high ethical standards, accountability, transparency and good governance across Malaysia’s professional community.
Perhaps one of the most thought-provoking themes was the question of trust. A society can have advanced technology, sophisticated infrastructure and highly educated professionals but without trust, institutions and partnerships become difficult to sustain.
The concern becomes even more significant with the rapid emergence of AI. People are increasingly interacting with systems that can answer questions, analyse information, generate text and images and provide recommendations.
Yet, the more capable technology becomes, the more important it becomes to understand the difference between machine-generated information and human judgement.
The rise of AI also places education at a crossroads. AI should be understood as a tool. Students need to learn how to use technology but they must also learn how to question it, verify information, recognise limitations and make ethical decisions.
Critical thinking, communication, creativity, judgement and responsibility cannot simply be outsourced. This is important as the boundary between human and machine capability becomes increasingly blurred. Malaysia’s AI future must be accompanied by an equally strong investment in human capability.
Another important issue raised was the relationship between universities and industry. Reference was made to China’s approach of encouraging industries to support universities, creating closer connections between education and employment and giving students clearer pathways into the workforce.
The broader lesson is relevant to Malaysia. Universities should not operate in isolation from the industries they serve. Likewise, industry should not view universities simply as sources of graduates.
The relationship can be much more meaningful where the university prepares the mind, industry provides the challenge and professionalism connects the two.
Industry can bring real-world problems into universities. Universities can bring research, talent and new ideas into industry.
Professional bodies can provide standards and networks while government can create an enabling policy environment. Students, meanwhile, gain opportunities to understand what their professional knowledge looks like outside the classroom.
Today’s problems rarely fit neatly into one professional category. A sustainable city involves engineers, architects, planners, environmental scientists, economists and policymakers.
Healthcare involves doctors, pharmacists, chemists, engineers, data scientists, administrators and policymakers.
Digital transformation involves technology specialists, business leaders, lawyers, educators and ethicists.
Climate change requires scientific knowledge, engineering solutions, financial mechanisms, policy intervention and community participation.
The boundaries are becoming blurred. And that is not necessarily a problem; it can be an opportunity. As observed by Datuk Dr Soon Ting Kueh, president of Institute Kimia Malaysia, it is important for professionals to work together, as collaboration across professional boundaries spurs greater recognition and encouragement.
Technology and professional collaboration, however, cannot answer every question about the future. One of the insights from Datuk Hajeedar Abdul Majid, who emphasised education, humanistic values and empathy as fundamental to the survival of society. It is a powerful reminder that the purpose of education extends beyond producing employable graduates.
Education shapes how people understand one another. It teaches people how to disagree, collaborate, solve problems, respect differences and contribute to society.
A highly educated society without ethics can misuse its knowledge while a digitally connected society without meaningful human relationships can become increasingly disconnected.
The conversations at Profex 2026 suggest that Malaysia’s future will depend not simply on how advanced its technologies become but on how responsibly people choose to use them.
In the age of AI, professional ethics, human relationships and the willingness to work together may be among Malaysia’s most important technologies of all.
Profex 2026 has become a landmark professional gathering, initiating a platform for Malaysia’s professional community to see itself not as a collection of separate professions but as a connected ecosystem with a shared responsibility for the nation’s future.
Dr Kumuthini Chandrasekaram is a research officer at the Universiti Malaya Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com