DOST launches AI research hub, says PH not behind in AI adaptation

The Philippines is not yet too behind in artificial intelligence (AI) integration and adaptation, the Department of Science and Technology said as it led the launch of the National AI Center for Research and Innovation (NAICRI) on Thursday.

DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said that the establishment of the NAICRI was a deliberate decision of the country to embrace AI technology.

“Artificial intelligence has become a general-purpose technology. Its impact is comparable to electricity and the Internet. It is reshaping how industries operate, how governments deliver services, and how nations compete,” he said.

“The National Artificial Intelligence Center for Research and Innovation is how we translate that choice into operating capability. It marks the Philippines' deliberate move from fragmented, project-based AI efforts toward an institutionalized, coordinated, and scalable approach,” he added.

NAICRI, under the DOST, is a newly launched institution set to unify AI research, computing resources, and capacity-building efforts of the Philippine government.

It will become the Philippines' central hub for AI research and implement the national AI framework or the National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS-PH).

Solidum said AI was now a general purpose technology similar to electricity and the internet, which is now reshaping industries and nations.

According to Solidum, the Philippines was strong in a sense that more than 80% of digital data spanned basic data infrastructure.

However, gaps remain as only 15% have adapted said technologies in unevenly distributed concentrations.

“If you look at the overall ranking of the Philippines, we're above 50%. We're not very late. But whether late or not, we are not competing to develop the large-language models that private companies and big countries have… Our advantage would be having a sovereign dataset,” he said.

“Until now, AI efforts in the Philippines have been opportunistic rather than orchestrated. We have had promising projects capable of researchers and willing partners, but no single institution to align them… We also face structural challenges, limited advanced computing power, a shortage of specialized AI talent, and even adoption across the regions, and governance frameworks that have yet to catch up with the pace of the technology,” he said. 

“If these gaps are not addressed, they will constrain our ability to compete in an increasingly AI-driven global economy. But if they are addressed strategically, they become the very foundations of our next phase of national development,” he added.

NAICRI currently has five AI infrastructures launched covering the sectors of disaster resilience, agriculture, education, business, traffic, and information distribution.

Consumption of resources

A major criticism of the rise of AI is its apparently exorbitant consumption of resources, including electricity and especially water.

Solidum, however, said all systems and technology also consume resources and that it was only a matter of being conscious to build systems that were sustainable in the long run.

“Power [consumption] yan… That's a given, but what we need to do is really be conscious enough that whenever we build certain structures that should be green and more sustainable, minimize the impact on the power and water and essentially make your effort integrated with sustainability,” he said.

Solidum said that whichever system or technologies the country would be adapting, especially with AI, there needs to be cooperation by the local government.

He said that it was up to them to determine what they needed to improve services with technologies, which they can provide.

“AI is a tool that can facilitate, but what is important would be the strategy. What needs to be done is to develop this integrated center and develop use cases to see if this is the right path or not. AI is really a tool so it is important to identify where it can help. We are not just doing it to say that we have AI,” he added.

Earlier, Solidum shared that they were pushing for a national framework of a “human-centered” AI model with an emphasis on remaining inclusive amid emerging technologies.

The secretary said that advanced technology was simply just technology without data, and emphasized the need to upskill Filipinos to adapt to new developments.

He also showcased DOST’s “Three-Horizon Approach” to respond to the needs of the Filipino community.

The approach’s first horizon focuses on boosting micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) productivity by upscaling programs utilizing AI, among others. — BM, GMA Integrated News