Quezon City, Philippines — SEAMEO INNOTECH spearheads the AI learning initiatives in Southeast Asia through its knowledge-sharing series, “Fostering the ‘I’ in ‘AI’,” with its second event hosted on June 27, 2024, at Pearl Hall, SEAMEO INNOTECH, Diliman, Quezon City.
Under the theme “Preparing and Adapting in an AI-Assisted World,” the event aimed to explore AI integration in Southeast Asian education, covering recent advancements, ethical considerations, and essential teacher competencies. Discussions encompassed global AI trends, regulatory challenges, and strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts, fostering collaboration among educators, policymakers, and technologists.
Ms. Kochakorn Khattapan-Acidre, SEAMEO INNOTECH Center Deputy Director, inaugurated the event emphasizing AI’s transformative potential in education while cautioning against ethical issues like bias and job displacement. She stressed the importance of responsible innovation through collaborative dialogue, stating that, “through open dialogue, collaboration, and a commitment to responsible innovation, we can harness the power of AI to transform our education system, elevate our artistic endeavors, empower our workforce, and reshape our businesses.”
Dr. Leonor Magtolis Briones, SEAMEO INNOTECH Centre Director, delivered a keynote emphasizing AI’s profound implications for education, civil society, and governance. She advocated for ethical AI deployment and the integration of humanistic values into technological advancements, asserting, “technology and the humanities cannot be separated.”
SEAMEO INNOTECH Legal, Policy, and Quality Management Office Manager Atty. Ira Paulo Pozon, in his presentation “How Do You Solve a Problem Like AI?”, highlighted AI’s potential to revolutionize personalized learning in education while emphasizing ethical considerations and the imperative to cultivate human-centric skills.
The forum included two panel discussions, where field experts discussed AI in education and industry, and adapting AI in tech and policy.
The panel discussion on AI in education and industry featured Prof. Dan Anthony Dorado, Assistant Professor at the UP School of Library and Information Studies, Associate Professor Pilar I. Romero, LPT, Ph. D, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Santo Tomas, Ms. Ria Ysabelle Flora, Lead of Power Solutions at Aboitiz Data Innovation, and moderated by Dr. Sherlyne Almonte-Acosta, Senior Specialist in the Educational Research Unit at SEAMEO INNOTECH.
The experts highlighted several key themes during the discussion. They began by stressing the critical importance of data quality and fostering AI literacy for effective integration into educational and industrial contexts. Ethical considerations surrounding AI, such as privacy, ethical AI development, and upholding human dignity, were extensively discussed. The potential transformative impact of AI on education was a central focus, highlighting themes like personalized learning and evolving roles for educators.
Furthermore, the panel explored the essential skills necessary for the workforce to thrive in an AI-driven future and emphasized the significance of maintaining a human-centered approach in AI development. Insights were also shared on global trends in AI adoption, with a call for continuous professional development to responsibly harness AI’s full potential. The panel concluded with insights on global trends in AI adoption and the necessity for continuous learning and adaptation among professionals to harness AI’s full potential responsibly.
The following panel discussion, which delved into various facets of AI integration in Philippine tech and policy landscapes, featured Atty. Pozon, Atty. Nikki Mendez from MIC Law Firm and ICT Society of the Philippines, and Atty. Jose de Castro, former Undersecretary for Legal Affairs of the Philippine Department of Information Communication and Technology (DICT), moderated by Dr. Diosdado San Antonio, SEAMEO INNOTECH Educational Research and Innovation Office Manager.
Key topics included the increasing adoption of AI tools in cybersecurity and governmental decision-making processes. Panelists noted concerns about the delayed policy development in the Philippines compared to countries like Taiwan and Singapore.
Former Undersecretary De Castro highlighted the current challenges facing businesses and organizations in responsibly developing and deploying AI. He emphasized, “Because of the technical and legal expertise required, less resourced organizations may struggle to navigate AI deployment without ample guidance from experts and regulators.” De Castro also advocated for policymakers to study models from nations like Singapore, praising their AI governance frameworks and AI Verify toolkit as effective guides for responsible AI implementation, even in the absence of stringent AI legislation.
Atty. Mendez emphasized the significant impact of AI in the development and deployment of technology, particularly in privacy considerations. “As AI’s capabilities become stronger, a specialized approach to data becomes more necessary,” she remarked during the panel. She also suggested the adoption of a risk-based approach, where stringent measures are prioritized for high-risk, high-impact data over less critical information, elaborating that “this approach ensures that the most sensitive data receives the highest level of security, while less critical information is managed with appropriate, but less stringent, measures, balancing the need for protection and the limited resources that we have for data security.”
Education emerged as a critical area needing attention, with a focus on enhancing digital skills and initiating reskilling programs. The dialogue also touched upon issues such as intellectual property rights and the necessity for robust digital infrastructure, highlighting AI’s potential to revolutionize sectors and stressing the importance of comprehensive preparedness and policy coherence in the Philippines.
Dexter Galban, Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of Learner Support Services of the Philippine Department of Education, concluded the forum, urging proactive leadership in AI integration and emphasizing ethical responsibility in shaping the future of education. “Let us forge new frontiers. Let us not take a passive role as spectators but become architects of change,” he urged.
SEAMEO INNOTECH also announced its 16th International Conference, “Harnessing the ‘I’ in AI,” scheduled for June 25-27, 2025, at the end of the event.
The forum successfully brought together approximately 200 participants on-site and garnered an online audience of over 41,000 viewers via Facebook and YouTube, receiving positive feedback from both virtual and physical attendees.
In continuation to the knowledge sharing series, SEAMEO INNOTECH is pleased to announce an upcoming webinar scheduled for July 19, 2024, focusing on the integration of AI tools in education, including a live demonstration. This event is open to the public, and further details, including the schedule and registration information, will be available soon on SEAMEO INNOTECH’s Facebook page.
