ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ROADMAP

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) is set to transform industries at an unprecedented rate. It will change everything from products and processes to design philosophies and business models—a multifaceted phenomenon involving technology, people, and the environment. Due to the expansive nature of FIRe, it is a pragmatic and strategic decision to focus on its key aspects, especially since resources are limited. Of all the era’s new and forthcoming technologies, more than 70% of enterprise leaders judged Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be the most disruptive vs. cloud computing and blockchain.1 On the other hand, AI is seen to greatly impact not only businesses and industries, but also societies and economies. According to PwC’s recent report, AI could contribute a whopping $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 20302 and more than $92 Billion to Philippine Economy.3

All of the above projections imply that anchoring progress with AI is a must, especially as governments around the world now consider it is a “nation defining capability”. The projected short-term and long-term benefits of AI is clear for the economy: it will entail job creation, protection from unnecessary job losses, and creation of high-income jobs. In this light, the AI roadmap provides actionable guide on how to harness AI’s potential to uplift Filipinos, our local industries, and our economy. In particular, we present here a guide for codifying and devising a strategy of national preparedness to maximize the benefits from employing AI technologies and developing AI economies, and also being mindful of the potential consequences and impacts of algorithms to processes and business models.

The roadmap describes the implementation, infrastructure, and investments needed to cover the four (4) important dimensions for AI readiness, namely: (1) Digitization and Infrastructure, (2) Research and Development, (3) Workforce Development, and (4) Regulation. The above dimensions are then supported by seven (7) measurable strategic imperatives and forty-two (42) strategic tasks. All of which have been defined so as to ensure that we have clear metrics in terms of tracking the progress of our efforts towards a competitive AI Economy with respect to the global arena.

Central to this roadmap is the creation of a National Center for AI Research (NCAIR) that houses full-time scientists and research engineers, serving as Nexus to AI competitiveness of the country. Among its goals are to assist micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) interested in using computational tools, especially AI technology, to help them improve their efficiency and productivity. The roadmap identifies R&D projects in agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The priority technologies where AI can be impactful are identified and validated with the help of focus group discussions with representative MSMEs from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

For additional reference and information on Artificial Intelligence in the Philippines, you may download the White Paper on Developing an AI Governance Framework for the Philippines.

1 “Big Data Executive Survey 2018”, NewVantage Partners LLC, 2018.

https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/data-and-analytics/publications/artificial-intelligence-study.html

3 EDBI, “Artificial intelligence could deliver a US$1 trillion uplift to Southeast Asia’s GDP by 2030”. Accessed from: https://www.edbi.com/news-room/latest-news/artificial-intelligence-could-deliver-a-us1-trillion-uplift-to-southeast-asia-s-gdp-by-2030