Demonstration of a potential use for AI-powered assistants as tour guides and ticket sellers at the IBM Think 2024 conference in Singapore in August 2024. ABS-CBN News, file

MANILA — The Philippines needs a “superbody” that will promote development but also regulate the use of artificial intelligence to make sure this is done ethically and responsibly, a lawmaker who filed a bill for it last year said Sunday.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barners filed House Bill No. 7396, or the proposed Artificial Intelligence Development and Regulation Act, in March last year.

The bill has yet to hurdle the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology.

 “Halos lahat ng bansa sa mundo ay nagsasagawa na ng mga pambansang polisiya o batas sa patuloy na pag-unlad ng kaalaman tungkol sa AI,” Barbers said Sunday.

(Almost all other countries in the world have already crafted national policies or laws to develop knowledge on AI)

“We Filipinos need to embrace AI because we cannot avoid it,” he also said, adding Filipinos cannot afford to be left behind because of the potential impact that AI can have on education and business and on the economy.

READ: Talent shortage may hamper AI adoption among PH BPOs —  Industry group

AI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Barbers’ bill proposes the creation of an AI Development Authority that would be chaired by the executive director of the Department of Science and Technology - Information and Communications Technology Office, with the head of the Department of Informations and Communications Technology ICT Industry Development Bureau as vice chair.

The proposed body would also have the head of the National Computer Center, a representative expert from the private sector, and a representative expert from the academe as board members.

The AIDA would also have representation from the National Privacy Commission, the National Telecommunications Commission, law enforcement and military, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and Securities and Exchange Commission.

The AIDA would be tasked with developing a national AI development and regulation strategy, conducting research and development activities on AI, and provide guidance and support to AI developers and users “on the ethical and responsible development and deployment of AI” in the Philippines.

It will also be tasked with establishing standards and guidelines for the legal, ethical and responsible development and use of AI, including licensing and certification requirements as well as the protection of private data.

Barbers on Sunday said the proposed AIDA would be a "watchdog" that would help ensure the proper use of the emerging technology.

"Sa paglabas ng bagong technolohiya na AI, tiyak din na may mga tao na gagamitin ito sa kasamaan. At kailangan handa rin tayo para kaharapin ito,” he said.

(With the emergence of new technology like AI, it's certain that there will be people who will want to misuse it. And so we must be ready to address that)

READ: PH sets up first AI hub for training and research

POTENTIAL AND PROMISE OF AI

The increasing use of generative AI offers the promise of increased productivity as more repetitive tasks are automated or enhanced by machine learning, but it has also raised concerns on job security and quality and on copyright.

“Despite the enthusiasm, uncertainty surrounds AI applications for many leaders,” according to a June 2024 study commissioned by tech giant IBM that looked into AI readiness in five Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines.

The study said that implementing AI in an organization would require “significant investment” in talent and in tech upgrades as well as “cultural shifts” on its use.

The Commission on Elections and the DICT have warned against the use of deepfakes and other AI-generated political propaganda in the coming 2025 elections, with DICT saying Philippine regulations have not kept apace of these tech developments.

RELATED: Deepfakes pose biggest tech threat to 2025 elections — DICT exec

AI is also seen as a potential option for companies to cut costs by replacing workers with AI tools, although resource speakers at the IBM Think 2024 conference in Singapore in August stressed that AI would be best used to enhance customer service or recruitment processes by matching potential candidates with a company's job requirements more quickly.

According to the AI readiness study, the most popular uses for AI across the region are in intelligent document processing (63%), support and help desk operations (60%), payment and invoice automation (57%), documentation (56%) and in content strategy creation (55%) and in recruiting (55%).

'STRONG LEADERSHIP, ROBUST DATA STRATEGY NEEDED'

“AI readiness requires a strong leadership, robust data strategy, the right talent to execute it and a well-thought-out governance framework to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI,” IBM ASEAN General Manager Catherine Lian said at the launch of the report in August.

Otherwise, she said, organizations might focus on AI’s potential and lose sight of its “longer-term impacts.”

An IBM fact sheet on AI use in Southeast Asia noted the filing of HB No. 7396.

Although more focused on business organizations, the IBM-commissioned “AI Readiness Barometer: ASEAN’s AI Landscape” stressed the need for good governance in the use of AI, calling it “critical to navigating the regulatory landscape” like the one that the AIDA would be tasked with crafting and implementing.

“However, the rapid rise of AI faces governance hurdles: ensuring proper data use within AI platforms, ethical concerns, and the struggle for proper frameworks,” the study also reads.