Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), and a humanoid robot (MANILA BULLETIN, Unsplash)

Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers stressed that the Philippines must not get left behind in the global effort to create bodies that will govern the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This, after the University of the Philippines (UP) released a draft set of 10 guiding principles on the “responsible use” of AI in response to the rapid development and adoption of the technology, especially in an academic environment.

"Mahirap yung patulog-tulog tayo sa pancitan sa mga bagay na ito (We shouldn't get left behind in things like these)," said Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.

“While the rapid phase of technological advancement in AI provides huge potential in the development of the people and the economy, it also poses risks and challenges that must be addressed to ensure that its benefits are maximized, and its negative impacts are minimized, if not avoided,” Barbers said.

Early this year, the veteran solon filed a bill calling for the creation of a “superbody” dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Development Authority (AIDA) to oversee the development and deployment of AI technologies.

He said this agency would ensure compliance with AI ethics principles and guidelines, as well as protect the rights and welfare of individuals and communities affected by AI technologies.

Barbers noted that regulators from across the world--from the United States (US), Great Britain, European Union, some ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries like Singapore, among others--are currently rushing to draft regulations to govern the use of the booming AI technology.

On the issue of possible job displacement, Barbers said he has received reports that the local Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry, where there are more than 528,000 call center employees, as well other industries involving online marketing and search engine optimization, finance, health care organizations, transportation, retail, among others, may be affected by the entry and use AI technology in the country.

Earlier, Geoffrey Hinton, a former Engineer of Google and dubbed as the ‘Godfather of AI,’ disclosed that the new technology he himself helped develop poses danger to society and humanity.

Barbers said Hinton had been quoted in news reports as saying "AI could kill humans and there might be no way to stop it." This is aside from alarms raised by advocacy groups and tech insiders that the new crop of AI-powered chatbots could be used to spread misinformation and displace jobs.

“As I have said earlier, we should have a 'watchdog' to guard against unscrupulous individuals, like bandits or terrorist groups, that would take advantage of or use it for their selfish or criminal ends," Barbers said.