TECH4GOOD
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to change how businesses and countries view the future. Its transformative potential is undeniable, and many governments worldwide recognize its impact and are implementing strategies to leverage the opportunities the technology is bringing. A neighboring ASEAN country, for example, has announced a revised AI strategy and is backing it up with $1 billion in funding in its bid to become a leading global AI hub. Is the Philippines ready for AI?
Governments should not only work to regulate AI and foster innovation but will also need to look at integrating this technology into critical sectors of the economy, like public services, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and education. The same ASEAN neighbor has earmarked a portion of its AI fund to train their workforce with AI skills to stay relevant in the fast-changing workplace and bring in 15,000 AI experts to deepen the talent pool for AI startups and other sectors.
A recent IBM research titled “Augmented work for an automated AI-driven world” predicts that employees, especially those with entry-level roles, will be most affected by next year because of AI adoption reaching breakneck speeds. At least 1.4 billion people in the global workforce are expected to be affected by the need to upskill. The same report implies a “new skills paradigm” due to the increasing adoption of generative AI to augment work capacity, which is expected to increase productivity and allow workers to spend more time on problem-solving and collaborative work.
The Philippines stands at a crossroads as a nation with a young, tech-savvy population and a strong desire to progress. As articulated in the DTI’s three-year-old National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy Roadmap, AI presents a transformative opportunity to propel the country towards national development and global competitiveness. My organization, the Analytics and AI Association of the Philippines (AAP), is helping DTI implement an action plan to operationalize the Roadmap.
What is missing in the case of the Philippines? First, the strategies in the Roadmap may need to be revisited and recalibrated, as they were developed before generative AI made artificial intelligence easily digestible by everyone. Second, unlike our ASEAN neighbor, we do not see adequate funding to implement those strategies. Third, other AI roadmaps launched by different government agencies add to the confusion. Although meant to complement the DTI-developed Roadmap, many see these initiatives as a picture of siloed approaches by some government offices.
Most conversations in the Philippines revolve around fears about AI replacing workers and setting up governance guideposts to ensure AI’s safe use and development. Some jobs will be eliminated in the same way that computerization did decades ago. AI will not eliminate most jobs but rather transform them. AI tools will augment existing job roles, and new AI-enabled jobs are expected to bubble up.
The Philippines boasts a robust BPO sector, a testament to our workforce’s digital dexterity. AI can significantly enhance this industry by automating routine tasks and freeing human talent for higher-level tasks that demand creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. These tasksincrease efficiency and productivity and solidify the Philippines' position as a global leader in the evolving digital services landscape.
To thrive in AI, the Philippines must build a robust ecosystem that focuses on upskilling the workforce, making data readily available, and fostering AI innovation, development, and adoption. Upskilling initiatives must include equipping the workforce with a foundational understanding of AI and how it can enhance their work and training on utilizing AI tools and platforms. The government should collaborate with schoolsand industry to develop AI-focused curricula. Training programs, workshops, and certifications should be accessible to students, professionals, and government employees.
Establishing AI research centers and innovation hubs will encourage collaboration between academia, industry, and government. These centers can focus on using AI to solve local challenges, such as those in public services, disaster management, healthcare, education, and agriculture.
AI thrives on data. The Philippines must invest in data infrastructure, including data collection, storage, and sharing mechanisms. Open data initiatives can encourage transparency and innovation. I have previously written about the need to amend our Data Privacy Act of 2012 to reflect recent technologydevelopments and ensure that citizens’ privacy is continuously respected. AI systems in the country should continue to be secure and transparent and sustain everyone's trust.
The Philippines has a unique opportunity to leverage AI for national development and global competitiveness. The country can position itself as a global AI powerhouse by strategically deploying this technology, empowering its people, investing adequate money to implement and harmonize government AI programs, and ensuring responsible implementation. As AI and human intelligence synergize, a new era of development awaits the Philippines, one that is not just competitive but transformative. (t4g.tmb@gmail.com)