A bill seeking to equip government employees with a clear understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI) works, including the benefits and risks of using it, has been filed in the Senate.

In filing Senate Bill No. 2930 or the proposed “AI Training for Government Workforce Act,” Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada proposed a specialized AI training program for specific government personnel to address the gaps in the country’s workforce.

“Skills gap is one of the challenges of the workforce, especially with the rise of generative AI,” Estrada said in the explanatory note of the SB No. 2930.

“Government agencies must, therefore, start training and enhancing the capabilities of civil servants when it comes to AI,” the senator said.

Estrada noted that many companies worldwide have already integrated AI into their operations, and government agencies across the globe are now actively working to understand AI and its impact on the public workforce.

“The debate and conversation around AI have been everywhere – whether it really helps people in their everyday lives or it is simply a threat to the global workforce,” he said.

“AI really has a lot of potential – from automating tasks to making it easier for complex questions to be answered in just a matter of seconds,” he pointed out.

Estrada said it is necessary for the government to strike a balance between harnessing the benefits of AI, managing its risks and seizing the opportunities it presents.

“Investing in AI training will not only future-proof the workforce but also improve services for the public,” he said.

The bill primarily mandates the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to formulate and lead an AI Training Program.

The said program will cover how AI works and its core concepts, its benefits for the government, potential risks like discrimination and privacy issues, future AI trends to include national security and innovation concerns, and provide risk mitigation strategies for safe and trustworthy AI.

Under the bill, the training will be conducted at least every two years and funded under the national budget.

Government employees who would be covered by the AI training program are those involved in program management, planning, research, development, engineering, testing, quality control, procurement, logistics, cost estimation, and others designated by the agency head for AI training.