The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is committed to bridging the wide gap between the readiness of consumers and that of businesses and government in adopting artificial intelligence (AI) in the country.
In a press conference on Friday, Nov. 3 to discuss the upcoming Industrial Digital Transformation Congress and AI Asia Expo 2023, DTI Undersecretary for the Competitiveness and Innovation Group Rafaelita Aldaba said that while Filipino consumers are highly prepared for AI adoption, the level of preparedness are not without crucial challenges such as skills gap, technical know-how, data access and digital infrastructure.
In her presentation, she noted that the DTI has revised its industrial strategy, emphasizing more on the application of science, technology, and innovation (STI) to develop globally competitive and innovative industries, attracting more investments, and generating more quality and higher-paying jobs.
In addition to adopting emerging technologies, Aldaba shared that the country’s STI-based industrial policy places significant emphasis on the development of human capital as a crucial component.
DTI’s most recent initiative is the Artificial Intelligence Roadmap which focuses on uplifting the lives of our people, industries, and the economy.
“The roadmap goes beyond our present difficulties as we envision the Philippines as an AI Center of Excellence in this age of innovation and transformation,” Aldaba said.
“With this new technological revolution, we will be able to boost the country's economic growth and drive an inclusive and sustainable industrialization,” she added.
Further, Aldaba said that the adoption of AI can enhance Philippine industries' regional and global competitiveness, prepare the workforce for future production, and attract large companies to set up shops in the country.
The National AI Strategy focuses on digitalization and infrastructure, which aims to: build a robust network environment; improve data access and data value extraction; push workforce development to nurture future AI talents and upskill and reskill the workforce; and AI governance framework – in order for us to develop an ethical AI economy and promote responsible and responsible AI for good.
To accelerate innovation and digitalization, one of the major recommendations of the roadmap is the establishment of a Center for AI Research (CAIR), a public-private partnership that would serve as a hub for data scientists and researchers to perform collaborative AI research and development (R&D), consultancy services, create AI tech products, conduct data literacy programs, and attract leading global firms to set up their AI R&D in the Philippines.
Its areas of focus include: position farming to improve the productivity of the agricultural sector and increase the incomes of farmers; smart manufacturing, healthcare services, AI-powered business process outsourcing; smart cities; cyber security; and resilient technology.
Aldaba also explained that the AI roadmap emphasizes the development of industry skills framework to bridge the skills gaps in the country to reskill and upskill the workforce, along with the curricular changes that would be needed at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education in order for us to develop a more innovative and creative AI workforce.
One of the pillars of the roadmap is to promote data literacy for all lifelong learning which include data science and analytics, data visualization and storytelling as general education courses in universities and colleges, along with learning pathways for out-of-school individuals who want to learn the AI data strengths and technologies.
Together with other government agencies, DTI is exploring new strategies to address skills gaps including subsidizing more online courses.
Given that poor Internet and high cost are major barriers to online learning, DTI is trying to explore a subsidy program for course fees and internet packages, which could, if implemented correctly, be transformative.
The government is also looking at skills-based tax incentives for employers. Tax breaks or other financial incentives could motivate businesses to invest in employee training programs, especially in key areas like cybersecurity and advanced IT skills.
The DTI also stressed the need for awareness campaigns and that more investment is needed in this especially using social media as the primary source of information on skills training.
“Overall, the challenges remain there are clear pathways and initiatives that can lead to a future where the workforce is more in sync with economic and technological landscape, collaboration of both local and international, and a keen focus on upskilling and reskilling seem to be key to navigating these evolving demands successfully,” Aldaba said.
She added that public-private partnerships, government involvement, and collaboration among industry stakeholders, including employers, governments, and educational institutions, are crucial for addressing challenges and opportunities in the industry.
Currently in Southeast Asia, AI is still in its early stages of adoption with 83 percent of ASEAN respondents said that they are still in the early stages, and only 15 percent said they are already in advanced stages.