DTI wants to position Phl as AI powerhouse
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is set to launch a roadmap next month which aims to position the Philippines as an artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse.
“With respect to AI, we are going to launch the Philippine AI road map next month, the goal of which is to make the Philippines an AI center for excellence,” Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba said during the Second Philippines-Singapore Business and Investment Summit on Friday.
She said the country is targeting to build a national data center and a national center for AI research that would serve as a hub for scientists and conduct research and development (R&D) for both industries and the government and provide solutions to problems using AI.
As the country embarks on its AI journey, Aldaba said the agency intends to collaborate with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research of Singapore given its strength in AI.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in the same event the DTI considers AI as a critical technology that would aid in maintaining and enhancing the regional and global competitiveness of local industries.
Apart from the AI roadmap, he said the DTI is also preparing to update existing industry roadmaps to push the use of Industry 4.0 technologies and to build an Industry 4.0 Pilot Factory.
“We are also formulating skills frameworks for various industries, similar to how Singapore developed its own skills frameworks. Among the industries we are prioritizing are manufacturing, logistics, construction, IT-BPM (information technology – business process management) and agri-business,” he said.
As part of efforts to rebuild from the impact of the pandemic, he said the agency would want to encourage Singaporean tech companies to consider business opportunities in the country.
In particular, he said there are opportunities in high-tech or smart manufacturing given the country’s young and skilled labor pool.