What a Malaysian engineer in San Francisco has learnt about the AI race

 It's not only about who develops the best technology, but who creates the conditions for innovators to thrive.

From Ian Ku

In many places, a coffee chat is just a coffee chat. In San Francisco, it can become the start of a company.

A casual conversation with a stranger can lead to a product idea. That idea might result in a co-founder introduction, an investor meeting, or a customer willing to test something new. A few months later, the same small team may be announcing a US$6 million seed round.

Coming from Malaysia, this was one of the biggest differences I have noticed. Back home, many young people are talented and ambitious, but the path from idea to company often feels unclear. In San Francisco, that path is everywhere around you.

I moved from Malaysia to the United States in 2019 to study computer engineering. Today, I work as a founding engineer at an AI startup building systems for the architecture, engineering and construction industry.

Being here has changed how I think about the AI race. It is not only about who has the best technology – it is also about who has the environment to turn talent into builders.

What makes San Francisco powerful is not simply the concentration of smart people. It is the proximity between founders, engineers, investors, mentors and early customers that allows ideas to move quickly.

A founder can find a technical collaborator, get feedback from a potential customer, receive an investor introduction, or learn from someone who has built a company before – often much earlier than they might elsewhere.

There is no single path into entrepreneurship here. Some go through accelerators; others meet investors through introductions, find co-founders at events or house gatherings, or leave large technology companies after spotting a problem worth solving.

Some start with a simple prototype, attract early users and gradually build momentum.

The system is messy but powerful. It creates multiple pathways for serious builders to take the next step.

San Francisco is also a bubble: few places in the world, even within the US, have this level of density and connectivity. But that is precisely why it is worth studying. A bubble often reveals the future early. What feels unusual here today may become normal elsewhere tomorrow.

Malaysia does not lack talent; many Malaysian engineers, designers, researchers and entrepreneurs are capable of competing globally. But talent alone does not automatically become startups, products or technology companies.

If our AI conversation focuses only on adopting tools, training workers and using software built elsewhere, we risk becoming consumers of the AI wave rather than builders of it.

Malaysia does not need to copy San Francisco, but we can learn from some of the ingredients that make the ecosystem work:

• stronger pathways for founders;
• more early-stage funding for technical teams;
• incubators connected to real industry problems;
• companies willing to pilot local AI products;
• networks that connect young builders with experienced founders, investors and Malaysians abroad.

I have seen how AI is moving beyond chatbots and into real professional workflows. In architecture and construction, AI must work with drawings, documents, regulations and human judgement. It is difficult technology to build, but it is also where the next wave of opportunity is likely to emerge.

Malaysia still has an opportunity to be part of this story. So, let’s not just ask how Malaysians can use AI – let’s also ask how more Malaysians can build it. - FMT

Ian Ku is a founding engineer of ArchiBoost AI and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.