Looking back, tak pernah terfikir pun nak sambung PhD in AI. It wasn’t one of those childhood dreams, sebab at that point of time, actually I want to become a game developer.
The Accidental AI Enthusiast
Aku tidaklah terlalu fascinated by technology. Walaupun kerja aku skrang coding, tidaklah aku get into the latest tech after all.
Tapi bila aku dah dived deeper into programming, I started noticing the magic behind algorithms. Simple lines of code could automate tedious tasks, predict patterns, and even “think” in a way that mimicked human intelligence. Actually dalam coding pun dah implement the concept of AI (before this term become popular), Remember “if-else-then”?, That blew my mind. I wanted to know more. I wanted to push the boundaries and see what was possible.
Kenapa sambung PhD?
Let’s be real—doing a PhD isn’t exactly the easiest or most obvious choice. It’s years of research, late nights, imposter syndrome, and drinking an unhealthy amount of coffee. So, kenapa aku buat?
- Curiosity – Sejenis nak tau apa itu AI, actually masa tu, AI tak berapa nak trend, but I believe this field going to be boom
- Impact – AI wasn’t just about writing code; it was about changing industries, solving real-world problems, and making technology more intelligent and accessible.
- The Challenge –Aku suka solving problems. A PhD felt like the ultimate problem to solve—how to survive three to five years of intense research without losing jadi gila, hahhahha
- Freedom to Explore – Unlike industry jobs, where projects are often driven by deadlines and business needs, dunia akademik membolehkan aku untuk berexperiment, fail, learn, and iterate without worrying about KPIs.
The Reality of It All
So PhD aku dalam nak menentukan kondisi kesihatan ayam based on its dropping, so kalau aku dapat concludekan aku punya PhD experience in one sentence, it would be: “A rollercoaster of excitement, frustration, breakthroughs, and questioning my life choices every other week.”
Some days, I felt like I was unlocking the secrets of the universe. Other days, I spent hours debugging a single line of code only to realize I had a typo error (doing this in Matlab). And then there were the research papers—so many research papers. Reading them, writing them, getting rejected, rewriting them—it was all part of the process.
Was It Worth It?
Absolutely. Not because of the title or the degree, but because of the skills and mindset I developed along the way. Doing a PhD in AI banyak mengajar aku on how to approach problems methodically, think critically, dan yang paling penting, stay persistent even when things didn’t go as planned. It made me appreciate the complexity of AI and how much more there is to learn.
Would I do it again? Maybe (depends on your SV). But for now, I’m just glad I made it through. (Cukupla sekali dengan SV itu)
If you’re thinking about pursuing a PhD in AI, my advice is simple—do it for the right reasons. If you love solving problems, enjoy deep-diving into research, and don’t mind a little bit of suffering along the way, go for it. But if you’re in it just for the title, trust me, there are easier ways to get “Dr.” in front of your name. 😆, and yang paling penting sekali, choose your SV wisely 😛
And that’s my story. No grand plan—just curiosity, persistence, and a love for technology that somehow led me down this path.
