“We want to provide a legal framework for ASEAN,” said Romualdes. “Along with that comes cybersecurity, issues that come with artificial intelligence, which require a lot of support and regulation. We feel that in ASEAN, we can leverage and optimize these developments, but within a framework of legal support.”
An AI-related slogan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 16, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Due to the rapid development of AI, regulatory bodies around the world are rushing to draft regulations to govern the innovative use of AI, which is likely to reshape the AI industry.
The Philippines’ AI legal framework could pose a challenge for ASEAN, a region of nearly 700 million people and 10 countries with widely varying regulations on censorship, intellectual property, disinformation, social media and internet use.
According to a Reuters comparison, the Philippines’ proposal would differ from the ASEAN draft “Guidelines on AI Ethics and Governance,” which has been implemented by regional countries since October 2023 in a business-friendly approach to AI regulation.
Some tech CEOs say the voluntary guidance would ease the burden of compliance and allow for more innovation in the region.
Meanwhile, Romualdez said the AI law is particularly important for the Philippines because the country’s important business process outsourcing (BPO) sector is “now under serious threat.”
“This is a very vulnerable area in a very bright industry today. The logical direction for us is to transform our people and upskill them to an AI-enabled level,” said Romualdez.
“Our responsibility in Congress is to come up with a legal framework that is not only relevant to the Philippines but also very, very relevant to ASEAN,” he added.
Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)
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