Attending stakeholders share identified risks, opportunities, and potential partnerships during the AI agenda discussion organized by UNESCO. In photo from left: PLDT AVP and Head of Data Visualization and Data Science Tin Dela Torre, DICT Director IV National ICT Planning, Policy, and Standards Bureau Maria Victoria C. Castro, UNOPS Country Manager Oscar Leonel Marenco Ruiz, PLDT VP Ding Villarino, and AI4GOV Social Innovation Lead Lei Motilla.
As the country’s leading digital technology providers, PLDT and Smart are committed to helping advance the country’s policy-making agenda on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In line with this, the PLDT Group participated in the special briefing session organized by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), on the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) tool dedicated to Philippine stakeholders.
Representing PLDT, Vice President and PLDT Innovation Center of Excellence Leader Ding Villarino reiterated PLDT’s strategic role in advising and helping government roll out its digital infrastructure initiatives. “As a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) to the President, PLDT acknowledges the significance of embracing global best practices to ensure that the nation remains at the forefront of AI innovation while adhering to ethical standards.”
“Recognizing the proliferation of AI, and the pivotal role of ensuring ethical policies in the implementation of AI, PLDT is committed to contributing to a collaborative and inclusive approach to advance the nation's digital transformation,” she adds.
PLDT and Smart support the UN Secretary-General’s call to ensure that AI becomes a force for good.
Fostering collaboration across government, academe, and the private sector, the UNESCO event is a significant initiative upon which PLDT aligns its commitment to helping create relevant policies and guardrails in the implementation of AI technology in the country.
The AI RAM tool is specifically designed to assist UNESCO Member States, including the Philippines, in comprehensively understanding and measuring their preparedness levels for the ethical and responsible implementation of AI.
In November 2021, the 193 Member States of UNESCO, including the Philippines, signed the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the first global normative instrument in its domain. The Recommendation was launched to facilitate the formulation and adoption of policies and regulatory frameworks at the national and regional levels to ensure that this critical technology benefits all sections of society – a human-centered approach to AI.
