In late 2025, staff of a regional payments company in Malaysia and three other Asian countries had free Microsoft Copilot features but no training in using them safely.
HR wanted every employee to start from the same base.
Key takeaways
- Start with the AI tools your staff already have, so they can use what they learn the same day.
- Put data safety first when tools are new to the whole company.
- Use short virtual sessions to reach several countries in a few days.
- Ask participants what they need next, and plan the hands-on stage around it.
The challenge
HR’s first concern was risk. Its brief to us was direct:
Make sure they cover security of using AI tools. Like not copying companies documents onto it. ... To increase the awareness on how to use AI responsibly and reduce the risk of data leakage.”HR team, the client
- About 300 staff invited across four countries, in one programme.
- A limited budget, claimed through HRD Corp.
- HR also asked us to cover deepfakes that impersonate staff.
The solution
We built an AI Foundation awareness programme around the tools staff already had.
Built on what staff already had
Every demo used the free Copilot features in Microsoft 365, so participants could try what they saw on the same day.
Three sessions
Two hours each on Zoom, on 25, 26 and 27 February 2026, so teams in four countries could join without travel.
Responsible AI at the centre
What not to paste into an AI tool, how data leaks happen and how to spot a deepfake, with examples from everyday work.
Materials handed over
Recordings, slides and photos went to HR afterwards, so anyone who missed a session or joins later can catch up.
How participants rated the sessions
Source: Mereka AI Lab training report for the client, post-session survey, February 2026; n = 41 of about 240 attendees.
“the ethical and principles topic are important to all, thanks for the easy to understand briefing with examples given.”Participant, the client
Lessons and what’s next
Participants told us what they wanted next: 30 of the 41 respondents chose practical Copilot skills, and 25 chose AI for data analysis and reporting. The client’s L&D team has since asked us for a hands-on Copilot programme.
Sources and methods
Attendance (about 240 of about 300 invited) is from the session records. All other figures come from one anonymous survey straight after the sessions (25 to 27 February 2026). Percentages are rounded to whole numbers. Training interests are multiple choice. No follow-up survey has been run yet.
