The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) sent its first foreign mission to the United Arab Emirates, with the goal of establishing artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation that would benefit both Filipino and Emirate stakeholders. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) presented “AI-INNOVATE: The Philippine Experience in Artificial Intelligence” at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (STRIP) and the Philippine Bangkota at the 2022 Dubai Expo during the mission. The delegation discussed the DOST’s AI priorities, programs, and the Philippine AI roadmap, according to DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Pea.
STRIP is an innovation ecosystem that encourages research and development, as well as entrepreneurial activities and industry-government-academic collaboration. Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), led the delegation. Through DOST’s upskilling programs for more than 350,000 graduates of AI-related courses, he offered an outline of the Philippine AI strategy. To improve the Philippines’ AI preparedness, the policy fosters AI companies and establishes relationships with other nations. Fish-I, a semi-automated fish census system for the rapid, accurate identification, counting, and monitoring of over 3,000 fish species across the Philippines, is an example of a successful DOST-supported company.
The team also met with the UAE’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, according to a news statement. The two sides discussed promoting AI, creating awareness among the workforce, educating the public, building infrastructure, empowering startups and companies, and forming partnerships with other countries and institutions, as well as exchanging notes on their respective experiences in building AI readiness for the government and the people. Through a proposed memorandum of agreement (MoU) on AI, the two Ministries agreed to continue working together.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely employed in education, medicine, business, engineering, and the arts, and it has been incorporated into government and commercial sectors all over the world. Despite the constraints provided by COVID-19 and a declining budget for research and development, the Philippines was placed 51st out of 132 economies in the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) survey issued last year. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced that the government and private sector are collaborating to expand AI technology in the country. The government believes the Philippines has the potential to become a major center for big data processing.
In May 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry unveiled the industry plan, making the Philippines one of the first 50 nations in the world to do so. AI adoption has the potential to boost the Philippine economy by $92 billion by 2030. The country will construct a government-led National Centre for AI Research, which would be headed by the private sector, according to the national AI plan (NCAIR).
The DTI’s AI roadmap also aims to give guidance on how to use AI to maintain local industries’ regional and global competitiveness, as well as identify priority areas in which the government, business, and society should commit time and resources.
