Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday welcomed the proposed establishment of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (N-CAIR) under the recently launched AI roadmap.
To sustain this program, Gatchalian said it is imperative that the country’s high school students are equipped with foundational skills needed for the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0.
“Dahil sa inaasahang papel ng artificial intelligence sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa, kailangang siguruhin natin na ang kakayahan ng ating mga kabataan ay tugma sa mga pangangailangan ng ating bansa para sa hinaharap (As we expect the role of artificial intelligence in the country’s development, we need to make sure that our young people are equipped with skills needed by our country in the future),” said Gatchalian in a statement.
“Mahalagang simulan natin ang paghahandang ito sa antas pa lamang ng senior high school upang maging matibay at malalim ang pundasyon ng kanilang kaalaman at kakayahan (It’s important that we start preparing them in senior high school so they can obtain a strong and deep learning foundation and proper skills),” Gatchalian stressed.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez had said the proposed private-led N-CAIR would serve as a shared hub for research, advance scientific discoveries in AI, and develop AI talent and data science leaders.
Citing 2020 estimates by research firms EDB Investments of Singapore and Kearney, the senator said AI is expected to boost Southeast Asia’s gross domestic product (GDP) by up to $1 trillion by 2030.
In the Philippines, AI's economic impact could lead to a 12 percent growth in GDP, which is equivalent to $92-billion.
Given these projections, the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture said the education sector’s task—including the basic education system—would now include ensuring students are acquiring skills that would not be obsolete with the rise of AI.
Gatchalian also said it is imperative that highly-qualified teachers are able to teach senior high school students with the competencies required of future AI talents.
He also said it is imperative the basic education sector has the infrastructure to support the rollout of the AI’s roadmap. This move, he said can be achieved through the Public Education Network (PEN).
Last April, DepEd and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) inked agreements to establish the PEN, which aims to hasten the installation of digital connectivity in public schools.