The Philippines ranks among the early adopters of artificial intelligence (AI) in Southeast Asia, but institutional readiness—particularly in schools—continues to lag, according to ASEAN Foundation.

In a report, ASEAN Foundation found that 83 percent of students in the Philippines have used generative AI models for educational purposes.

Students’ use of AI is particularly evident on platforms such as ChatGPT, which are commonly used for writing tasks and paraphrasing other sources.

The Philippine context mirrors the rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with 87 percent of students in the region using AI to search for information, while 75 percent use the technology for writing assistance.

In contrast, only 73 percent of Filipino educators use generative AI models for teaching across education communities in the country.

The report also found that only 42 percent of teachers use AI for their own writing tasks, well below the adoption rate among students, reflecting broader regional perceptions.

ASEAN Foundation executive director Piti Srisangsam attributed the gap largely to generational differences, noting that younger users tend to be more receptive to emerging technologies, while older generations often take longer to adapt.

As a result, Srisangsam said high student usage is frequently driven by convenience rather than a strong technical understanding of how to responsibly and effectively use AI.

Based on the report, only half of schools in the region provide adequate training, clear usage guidelines, and sufficient infrastructure to teach AI-related technologies.

“Despite high adoption, fewer than half of educators express strong confidence in institutional AI policies and governance frameworks,” Srisangsam said.

He said this highlights the need for the Philippines to go beyond expanding access to AI and instead focus on building skills, guidance, and safeguards to prepare students and the broader public for rapid digital transformation.

The outlook, however, remains bright, as Filipinos rank among the top applicants to ASEAN Foundation’s AI-Ready ASEAN program, which has already upskilled more than five million people across the region.

“From our experience, I think Filipino people are among those who consistently seek to develop themselves,” Srisangsam said.

He added that government agencies, including the Department of Education (DepEd), have partnered with the organization to promote AI literacy and responsible use.

Drawing from the report, Srisangsam said the Philippines could use its findings not only to guide national policy but also to strengthen its push to sign the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) as chair of the ASEAN Summit this year.

DEFA is expected to be the world’s first region-wide digital economy agreement, setting common rules for Southeast Asia on e-commerce, digital trade, cybersecurity, digital payments, emerging technologies, and cross-border data flows.