Dr Muhamad Hariz Muhamad Adnan (drhariz.com), HRD Corp certified AI trainer and Senior Lecturer at UPSI, recommends that Malaysian companies train staff first on the AI tool that already sits inside their daily work platform: Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 companies, Gemini for Google Workspace companies, and ChatGPT where there is no enterprise suite or where teams need a flexible general assistant. The skills that matter most (prompting, checking output and protecting data) transfer across all three.
Choosing between ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini is one of the most common questions Malaysian HR and L&D managers ask before booking AI training. The wrong choice usually does not mean the training is wasted, but it can mean staff learn on a tool they cannot use at their desk on Monday morning. This guide gives a simple decision table, the data-protection questions to settle first, and what a one-day workshop covers for each tool.
Why the tool choice matters for AI training
Generative AI is the family of AI systems that produce new text, images, summaries and code from a written instruction (a prompt). ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini are all generative AI assistants built on large language models. They share the same core skills: writing clear prompts, giving context, reviewing the answer for errors and keeping confidential information safe.
Where they differ is where they live. Copilot is built into Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams. Gemini is built into Google Workspace apps such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Meet. ChatGPT is a standalone assistant used in a browser or app, with business plans for organisations. Training is most effective when exercises happen inside the tool and the documents staff already use, so the platform your company runs on should drive the decision.
Decision table: which AI tool to train staff on
| Your company situation | Train first on | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Already on Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint) | Microsoft Copilot | Staff practise on their own emails, meetings, Word files and Excel sheets inside the Microsoft environment the IT team already manages. |
| Already on Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Meet) | Google Gemini | Exercises run inside Gmail, Docs and Sheets, which keeps adoption simple and governed by the same Workspace admin settings. |
| Mixed platforms, or no enterprise licence yet | ChatGPT (with a business plan where possible) | A flexible general assistant that works regardless of the email and document platform, useful for drafting, summarising and analysis. |
| Small team piloting AI before buying licences | Tool-agnostic foundations, then one tool | Teach prompting, verification and data rules first, then run hands-on practice on the tool the company is most likely to license. |
| Different departments on different tools | Common core plus department tracks | One shared session on safe use and prompting, then short tracks per tool for the teams that use it. |
If you are unsure where your company sits, a short AI readiness assessment or AI training needs analysis usually answers the question in a few conversations with IT and department heads.
Data protection and PDPA questions to settle first
Before any training session, agree how staff may use AI with company and customer data. Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) applies to personal data your company processes, so these questions should be answered by IT, legal or compliance, not left to individual staff:
- Which AI tools and which account types (personal, business or enterprise) are approved for work use?
- Does the plan you use allow the provider to use your prompts and files to train its models, and has that setting been checked by IT?
- What types of data must never be pasted into an AI tool (for example customer identity details, salary data, unpublished financial results or client contracts)?
- Where is AI output reviewed by a person before it is sent to customers, regulators or management?
- Who owns the company AI usage policy, and how will staff report mistakes or concerns?
Settle these first and the training can teach the approved rules directly, instead of leaving staff to guess. Licence terms and data settings change often, so confirm current details with Microsoft, Google or OpenAI and with your own IT team before rollout.
What a one-day workshop covers for each tool
Microsoft Copilot workshop
Drafting and rewriting in Word, summarising long email threads in Outlook, recapping Teams meetings, building first-draft slides in PowerPoint and asking questions of Excel data in plain language. Staff practise on realistic company documents, then learn where Copilot output needs checking. Our separate guide on Microsoft Copilot training in Malaysia goes deeper.
Google Gemini workshop
Drafting replies in Gmail, writing and summarising in Docs, organising and analysing data in Sheets, and preparing meeting notes. The session also covers prompt structure and checking facts, so staff can move between Gemini in Workspace and the standalone Gemini app with confidence.
ChatGPT workshop
Prompt frameworks for writing, summarising, brainstorming, data analysis from uploaded files, building reusable prompt templates and creating simple custom assistants for repeated tasks, all within the company’s data rules. See ChatGPT training for companies in Malaysia for a full outline.
Every workshop delivered by Dr Hariz includes the same foundations: what generative AI can and cannot do, how to spot errors and invented facts, Bahasa Melayu and English prompting, and a practical action plan per participant. Sessions are delivered in Bahasa Melayu, English or bilingually, on-site or live online.
Is the training HRD Corp claimable?
Yes. Dr Muhamad Hariz is an HRD Corp certified AI trainer, so registered employers can apply to claim eligible ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini training through HRD Corp schemes, subject to HRD Corp’s rules and approval. The claim covers the training itself, not the software licences, which are bought separately from Microsoft, Google or OpenAI. Details of programmes are on the corporate AI training Malaysia page.
Should you train on more than one tool?
For most Malaysian companies, start with one tool and one set of rules. Staff who learn good prompting and verification habits on one assistant transfer them quickly to another. Training on all three at once tends to dilute practice time. The exception is a company whose departments genuinely use different platforms, where a shared core session plus short tool tracks works well. If you are still deciding between broader AI skills and technical courses, read Generative AI training vs machine learning training in Malaysia.
Frequently asked questions
Neither is better for every company. Copilot suits companies already on Microsoft 365 because it works inside Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams, while ChatGPT suits companies with mixed platforms or no enterprise suite. Train on the tool your staff can actually use at work.
Yes, as an introduction. A one-day session can teach shared skills such as prompting, checking output and data protection, then show each tool briefly, but deeper hands-on practice works best on the single tool your company has licensed.
Training delivered by an HRD Corp certified trainer such as Dr Muhamad Hariz can be claimed by registered employers under HRD Corp schemes, subject to approval. The software licences themselves are not part of the training claim.
Yes. Dr Hariz delivers ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini training in Bahasa Melayu, English or bilingually, including prompt examples written in Bahasa Melayu for local documents and customers.
Confirm which AI tools and account types are approved, agree basic data rules under the PDPA, and collect two or three real tasks per department so the exercises match daily work.
Ready to decide which tool your team should learn first? Contact Dr Hariz to discuss an HRD Corp claimable ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini workshop for your company. For broader options, see best AI courses for companies in Malaysia.
About the author
Dr Muhamad Hariz Muhamad Adnan is a Doctor in Artificial Intelligence, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Computing and Meta-Technology, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), and an HRD Corp certified AI trainer in Malaysia focused on AI-driven digital transformation in education and the workplace. Contact Dr Hariz for corporate or education AI training.
