Strong AI policies, investment to speed up Philippines’ AI adoption — expert

By Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES can expedite its artificial intelligence (AI) adoption through firm policy commitment and sufficient capital allocation, according to data and technology expert David R. Hardoon.

“[The Philippines] need conviction and the second is money, you will be surprised at how fast the Philippines can turn around [and fully adopt AI],” Mr. Hardoon said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

“Many times, the reason we’re limited in our adoption is because of the technical dent that exists. Meaning, we want to use it, we’re ready to use it, we’ve accepted the risk, but we just simply can’t because the highway has not been built.”

Mr. Hardoon, who previously served as chief executive officer of Aboitiz Data Innovation Pte. Ltd. for more than three years, is assuming a new role as global head of AI at the international banking group Standard Chartered, beginning Monday.

“It is all about how to adopt the possibilities that come from data, the applications of AI, but naturally in a slightly different context of global international operations, with a focus on a similar but slightly different business line,” Mr. Hardoon said.

For countries like the Philippines, adopting and maintaining strong conviction in AI policy and utilization is critical — especially as the country has set its digitalization goals.

“I think there needs to be, not necessarily a contextualization, but a bit of an angle. One point is that the Philippine market is highly digital and highly adaptable. That is actually a very important point,” he said.

“You obviously are not disconnected from the advancements, technology, and the various applications. In fact, to me, these things are phenomenal opportunities because you already have a population who is willing to try.”

Investments and education are the way forward for businesses in the country to leverage AI, Mr. Hardoon said, adding that it is crucial for people to be skilled and competitive in harnessing this emerging technology.

Retail, healthcare, financial institutions, and utility companies are the sectors projected to benefit most from AI, he said, adding that these industries will leverage AI to enhance operational efficiency.

“The ones which would probably benefit the fastest, or perhaps would be more evident that they benefit, is retail,” he said, noting that consumer-driven sectors are transforming their operations by using data and technologies to streamline processes.

For instance, retail industries are using cloud-based or AI-powered applications for inventory and inventory management, as well as to identify challenges in the supply chain; while power companies are integrating AI into their operations to optimize energy production and grid management through AI-based technologies.

The Philippine digital economy is expected to maintain its growth trajectory, driven by e-commerce and the continued development of digital infrastructure, according to the e-Conomy SEA report by Google, Temasek Holdings, and Bain & Co.

The Philippine digital economy is projected to grow by 20% to $31 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV), making it the fastest-growing digital economy in Southeast Asia.

Further, the growing interest in AI adoption is also expected to drive growth for countries leveraging its benefits, Mr. Hardoon said, noting that countries experiencing revenue losses due to cyberattacks may deploy AI to help combat these emerging threats.

“So, just like tools can be used for, unfortunately, bad things, we can use the exact same tools to identify when David is not David,” Mr. Hardoon said.

In the Philippines, the government, through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), is currently drafting guidelines regulating deepfakes — artificially generated images, videos, or audio intended to deceive consumers of media.