Is the government ready to address the possible negative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on jobs in the country?
Senator Bam Aquino has submitted Senate Resolution No. 344, to conduct an inquiry on the government’s plan and initiatives to maximize the benefits of developments in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
“We want to know how developments in Artificial Intelligence will affect jobs in the country and what government plans are to address the possible negative impact on current and future employment for Filipinos,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.
According to the legislator, reports on the impact of artificial intelligence have noted an increased presence and capacity of Chatbots and the emergence of systems capable of referring questions to human operators and learning from their responses.
“These systems use artificial intelligence and are capable of performing the tasks of human employees, putting their employment in peril,” said the lawmaker.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) also released a working paper in July 2016, claiming that 49 percent of all employment in the Philippines faces a high risk of automation in the next couple of decades.
“This early, we should be preparing for any eventuality that may occur when automation goes into full swing,” the youthful Senator said.
In his resolution, Aquino noted that Artificial intelligence is one of the emerging technologies emphasized in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, with the government engaging in more collaborative research and development activities and invest in infrastructure buildup.
The Department of Science and Technology is tasked to develop an AI Program in the Philippines, particularly to optimize mass production and effective operations in the country’s manufacturing sector.