DOST to focus on AI and creative industries

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine government through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has identified the Creative and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as new industries that will be given serious focus via research and development (R&D) initiatives.

This was announced by DOST undersecretary for R&D Rowena Cristina Guevara, in her recent visit to Cebu.

Developing AI by putting investments in R&D is seen to help the country sustain its momentum in the outsourcing sphere.

Based on the 2017 Accenture technology forecast, AI is coming of age, tackling problems both big and small by making interactions–simple and smart.

AI too is becoming the new user interface (UI), underpinning the way people transact and interact with systems.

Seventy-nine percent of the Accenture survey respondents agree that AI will revolutionize the way they gain information from and interact with customers.

According to the survey, AI is taking more sophisticated roles within technology "adapting our needs and wants."

Guevara also cited a recent study released by the International Labor Organization (LTO), which said that if Philippines will not be able to invest in AI, it is bound to lose at least 89 percent of its call center jobs in next few years.

Likewise, about 49 percent of jobs from the manufacturing sector will be affected or put into compromised if the Philippines will neglect the importance adopting automation, such as AI and robotics in the operations.

Meanwhile, Guevara also asked the support from Cebuano business community to support or invest in locally developed technologies and adopt them into the mainstream market, thus boosting the creative potential of Filipinos.

Guevara announced that DOST is investing 10 percent of its budget to research and development (R&D) technology transfer.

She said bringing all these technologies into the mainstream market would help the economy move forward as it addresses relevant issues and would make products become competitive enough to generate higher income.

DOST recently concluded its Technology Transfer Day, in Cebu an initiative to partly fulfill its mandate in ensuring that Filipino technologies are maximized for the benefit of society and local industries, as guided by Republic Act 10055 or the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009.

Since last year, the agency has launched 74 Filipino innovations  of which 28 have already been commercialized. (FREEMAN)