Senator seeks probe into gov’t plan to maximize AI, emerging technologies

To find out how developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will affect jobs in the Philippines, a senator on Friday called for a probe into the government’s plan to maximize AI’s impact. (PNA photo)

MANILA—To find out how developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will affect jobs in the Philippines, a senator on Friday called for a probe into the government’s plan to maximize AI’s impact.

Under Senate Resolution No. 344, Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV sought for an inquiry on the government’s plan and initiatives to maximize the benefits of developments in AI and other emerging technologies.

Aquino, chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, sought for the probe following reports on an increased presence and capacity of Chatbots and the emergence of systems capable of referring questions to human operators and learning from their responses.

He pointed out that AI is one of the emerging technologies emphasized in the Philippine Development Plan 2017 to 2022, with the government engaging in more collaborative research and development activities.

The Department of Science and Technology is tasked to develop an AI Program in the Philippines, particularly to optimize mass production and effective operations in the country’s manufacturing sector.

“These systems use artificial intelligence and are capable of performing the tasks of human employees, putting their employment in peril,” Aquino said.

“This early, we should be preparing for any eventuality that may occur when automation goes into full swing,” he added.

In July 2016, the International Labor Organization (ILO) also released a working paper claiming that 49 percent of all employment in the Philippines faces a high risk of automation in the next couple of decades.