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The Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) National ICT Planning, Policy and Standards Bureau (NIPPSB), in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), co-organized AI Dialogue: Gender-Based AI Policy in the Philippines, a conference that promotes artificial intelligence (AI) in ethical policy making and discusses its societal impact. The event was held on 29-31 March 2023 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Quezon City.

The three-day event is a component of the ITU’s project, Enhancing the Development of Standards and Frameworks for Critical Technologies in Southeast Asia, which focuses on critical technologies, such as AI, and the potential gender and social biases linked with them. As one of the four beneficiary countries of the project, the Philippines collaborated with the ITU in facilitating this dialogue on the principles of standardization and the integration of AI into policy making.

DICT Undersecretary and ITU Councilor of the Philippines Jocelle E. Batapa-Sigue delivered the opening remarks on the first day of AI Dialogue and thanked the ITU for its meaningful collaboration with the Philippines. She also underscored the crucial role of AI and technology in shaping society’s future as we approach digitalization.

“We are humans in a period in history characterized by the widespread use and development of artificial intelligence technology. AI as we all know has the potential to transform exponentially the way we live and the way we work. And it can improve efficiency, accuracy and productivity in various industries. This partnership will help us all formulate policies that ensure gender inclusivity and inclusivity on all ends,” Undersecretary Batapa-Sigue said.

Throughout the conference’s training and workshop sessions, AI Dialogue also stressed the importance of incorporating a “whole society view” when creating and implementing policies for a nation. A holistic understanding of policy making, coupled with an outcome-based approach, will lead to plans and policies that comply with international AI ethics guidelines and increase global competitiveness.

Meanwhile, DICT Undersecretary and Spokesperson Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo attended the event on its second day to deliver the closing remarks and discuss how transformative AI can be, encouraging its use in improving industries and the national economy.

“AI will change the way we do things. We must harness AI’s potential to uplift our citizens, our local industries, and our economy. With the outputs of ITU’s research project, it is imperative that we develop awareness among policy makers of the importance of inclusion of gender-sensitive AI in their regulatory processes. We must put in place the necessary policies and ensure that these are inclusive and gender-sensitive,” Undersecretary Lamentillo asserted. The ITU is set to conduct foundational training and create a regional network of female policy makers, regulators and delegates in the Philippines. This project shall continue until June 2024 and is expected to share good practices to bolster coordination and cooperation in Southeast Asia.

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