CONNECTIVITY and infrastructure issues are posing challenges to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“Currently, some of the problems that we encounter include issues in connectivity, infrastructure, and lack of computer resources, especially in underserved communities and rural areas,” DICT Planning Officer III Christine Laberinto-Miranda said in virtual briefing late Tuesday.
Ms. Miranda also cited the digital skills gap, limited training opportunities, and the overall lack of awareness regarding the benefits of AI.
“Not all of them are aware and equipped enough to use AI,” she said.
The DICT last week said it plans to generate eight million digital jobs by 2028 through its “Trabahong Digital” initiative.
To address upskilling issues, the DICT has been rolling out Digital Transformation Centers nationwide, which are intended to serve as an access point for those with insufficient resources or connectivity, Ms. Miranda said.
She said the government has been forging partnerships with the private sector to bridge the digital skills gap.
Michelle Alarcon, president and co-founder of the Analytics and AI Association of the Philippines, said that the banking and financial technology industries are the most “mature” in terms of AI adoption strategies because they have been supervised by regulators to handle customer data securely.
“They need to be data literate to actually comply with the standards in the industry,” she said.
On the other hand, manufacturing, nongovernmental organizations, real estate, and government offices trail behind in terms of AI adoption.
Despite this, companies that are not yet ‘analytically mature’ can still leverage generative AI tools, Ms. Alarcon said, citing mid-sized and real estate companies exploring AI use cases.
Still, companies must seek to configure their data information systems to reap the benefits of AI adoption.
“If we don’t fix our processes, if we just rely on dumping dirty data on AI and hoping it will be cleaned on its own, then that is not really a good practice,” Ms. Alarcon said. “So, we encourage companies, even (those without) modern systems in place, to always prepare their data and processes to be ready to integrate AI.”
The Philippines could generate up to P2.8 trillion in annual economic value by 2030 with AI adoption and with the development of key digital skills, according to 2023 study by Google & Access Partnership. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
