Copyright: technologyreview.com – “How To Fine-Tune AI For Prosperity”

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Regulating Artificial Intelligence in the Philippines: Policy Paper by Dayrit, Micaella, Nalagon, Gian Bern, Pajo, Divine Grace, Pineda Julis Gabriel, Rivera, Julia Alessandra, Assistant Professor Chad Patrick T. Osorio

In recent years, the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has slowly but inevitably transformed the global technological landscape, heralding a new era of advancements that may have seemed impossible in the past decades.

This AI-driven paradigm shift has ushered in substantial enhancements across a myriad of sectors, including but not limited to finance, national security, transportation, and communication. Its trajectory is marked by relentless innovation as it forges new pathways and benchmarks of progress. From pushing improvements in the health sector in terms of more precise diagnostics and accelerated drug discovery to advancing manufacturing by providing leveraged sophisticated algorithms to refine production processes and improve the efficiency of the delivery of goods and services, there is no doubt that AI has come a long way in the ways of our economy.

Despite the recognition of AI’s role in fostering innovation and streamlining operational efficiency, its swift integration into the fabric of society raises a host of complex challenges. These challenges compel a rigorous analysis of AI’s economic repercussions and underscore the urgency for judicious regulatory frameworks. The rapid expansion of AI applications has been met with measured skepticism among various stakeholders, including scientists, economists, and policymakers.

This ambivalence stems from a prudent recognition of the potential risks associated with the unchecked proliferation of AI systems. Consequently, this paper aims to dissect the multifaceted imperative for AI regulation within the Philippine context.

Part I aims to provide a critical assessment in the context of Philippine-specific challenges and the current state posed by AI on issues.

In Part II, attention is directed toward the existing and ongoing international legal and regulatory landscape of AI, providing a comparative backdrop.

Founded on this comparative analysis, Part III delves into a comprehensive analysis of the unique challenges the Philippines faces in implementing AI regulation. Building on this analysis, the part also proposes tailored regulatory approaches and frameworks.

In the end, Part IV synthesizes these discussions, evaluating whether the Philippines is currently able and prepared to adopt new regulations for AI.

Download the whole report here.

About the Authors:

Micaella Dayrit is an Economics undergraduate student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, specializing in Development Economics. Micaella takes part in activities even outside of her field, especially those that promote women’s rights and welfare.

Gian Bern Nalagon is an Economics undergraduate student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, specializing in Development Economics. Passionate about economic empowerment and public service, Gian actively engages in projects that advocates for equal access to opportunities and is committed in developing inclusive and sustainable communities.

Divine Grace Pajo, an Economics undergraduate specializing in Environmental Economics at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, is a fervent advocate for women’s empowerment. Beyond her academic pursuits, she dedicates herself to initiatives fostering a more inclusive and equitable society for women.

Julius Gabriel Pineda is an Economics undergraduate student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, specializing in Development Economics. Julius has a passion for giving back to the community by applying the things he has learned in economics.

Julia Alessandra Rivera is an Economics undergraduate student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, specializing in Development Economics. With a passion for the intersection of economics, management, and law, Julia has actively engaged in various extracurricular activities through participating in organizations aligned with her personal aspirations and beliefs.

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Copyright: graduateinequalityreview.com – Jeanella Klarys Pascual and Chad Patrick Osorio – “The Road to a More Accessible Web: Bridging the Inequality Gap with AI”

The United Nations has hailed the Internet as a catalyst for the promotion of human rights and a necessary component for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the Digital Divide still remains, highlighting existing inequalities within the greater social sphere. A key factor that excludes certain populations from accessing the wealth of information available online is low web accessibility. Web accessibility refers to the ease of use of the Internet by persons with disabilities. This article proposes that this is an understudied dimension of inequality, both at the individual and societal level, potentially affecting 1.3 billion people in the world in varying degrees. It discusses how improving web accessibility can improve the lives not only of persons with disabilities but also the general social welfare as well. In line with this, it explores a number of artificial intelligence use cases which can be implemented to mitigate this pressing challenge. Finally, the article concludes that governments, industries, and academia should devote increased initiatives in how AI can be used towards improving web accessibility in order to bridge the Digital Divide and contribute to alleviating the global inequality gap.

Introduction

The World Health Organization estimates that around 1.3 billion people worldwide live with disabilities, translating to 16% of the total global population (World Health Organization, 2023).  Persons with disabilities (PWDs) often face stark inequality in various forms: from lower education levels, decreased employment rates, poorer health outcomes, and barriers to participation in daily life, among many others (Shandra, 2018). This affects their full enjoyment of human rights and hampers the global dream to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With the recent impact and lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, these inequalities have only increased (United Nations, 2018). The search for solutions continues.

One potential tool to mitigate this situation is the Internet. Ever since its early days, many have hailed the Internet as ‘the great equalizer,’ leveling the playing field for all (Coombs, 1998). More recently, it has been lauded as a catalyst for the full exercise of human rights (UN Human Rights Council, 2013). It has also been named a key component to meeting the SDGs (United Nations, 2018). The Internet has ushered in the Age of Information, changing the economic, political, cultural, and even ecological systems of contemporary society (Fuchs, 2007).[…]

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SwissCognitive Guest Blogger: Chad Patrick Osorio, Cross-Disciplinary University Lecturer for Environmental Economics, International Law & Social Psychology – “From Swiss Precision to Southeast Asian Potential: Unleashing the AI Advantage”

The Swiss, known for their timeless innovation, world-class precision, and culture of excellence, should consider investing in AI projects in Southeast Asia, a region ripe with opportunities and untapped potential. The International Monetary Fund notes that Asia Pacific hosts 35% of the world’s aggregate economic output. A leading powerhouse in the region is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), collectively the 5^th largest economy in the world. The IMF foresees Southeast Asia to be the world’s fastest growing region. Indeed, the Swiss Federal Council has taken note of the region’s growing potential when it comes to trade and investment, and is pivoting towards ASEAN in the coming three years.

This article explores a number of compelling reasons why Swiss firms and investors should seize this opportunity and consider the untapped potential that await them in Southeast Asia.

Growing Market Potential

Southeast Asia is currently primed for remarkable economic boom. This is fueled by a rising middle class, urbanization, and increased digital adoption. Some of the region’s fastest-growing economies, such as Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines, present an ideal market for AI solutions. Investing in AI projects in Southeast Asia allows Swiss businesses to tap into this burgeoning market and gain a competitive edge in various sectors.

Investing in AI projects in these countries can serve as a strategic gateway for Swiss businesses to access the broader Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market. With a combined population of over 650 million and a rapidly growing consumer base, the ASEAN region offers immense opportunities for expansion and growth. By establishing a presence through AI projects, Swiss companies can position themselves for long-term success and establish valuable networks and partnerships across ASEAN countries.

Access to Global Talent

Southeast Asia boasts a vast pool of talented professionals, including engineers, data scientists, and AI experts. Many countries in the region are investing heavily in developing AI skills and capabilities, nurturing a strong talent ecosystem. In fact, a number of Southeast Asia’s leading universities have begun offering courses in AI and data science, with many more soon to follow suit. By investing in AI projects in Southeast Asia, Swiss businesses can gain access to this talented workforce, fostering collaborations and knowledge exchange that can propel their own AI initiatives to greater heights.

In addition, major cities in Southeast Asia, such as Singapore, Bangkok, and Jakarta, have evolved into vibrant hubs, attracting global businesses and startups alike. Together with academic and research institutions, these hubs offer a conducive environment for collaboration and innovation, providing Swiss firms with valuable opportunities to partner with local AI experts, universities, research centers, and businesses. By investing in AI projects in Southeast Asia, companies can leverage these thriving ecosystems and benefit from cross-pollination of ideas and expertise.

Addressing Unique Challenges

Southeast Asia faces distinct challenges that can be effectively addressed through the support of AI solutions. For instance, the region struggles with traffic congestion, infrastructure development, healthcare accessibility, and environmental concerns, among many others. Swiss-led AI initiatives can provide novel solutions to optimize transportation systems, improve infrastructure planning, enhance healthcare services, and promote sustainable practices. By investing in AI projects with use cases applicable in the Southeast Asian setting, Swiss companies can make a significant impact on the region’s development, all the while reaping substantial benefits. This also opens up possibilities for government support and institutional incentives.

Indeed, governments in Southeast Asia are actively promoting the development and adoption of AI technology. The Philippines joined the first 50 countries in the world to launch a National AI Strategy. Malaysia has proposed a “strategic quadruple helix partnership of government, academia, industry, and society” for its AI Roadmap. Singapore envisions itself to be a world leader in scalable, impactful AI solutions by 2030. Indonesia recently launched Stranas KA (Strategi Nasional Kecerdasan Artifisial), spanning 2020 to 2045. These are just some of the examples of how ASEAN countries, individually and collectively, are investing in infrastructure, creating supportive policies, and launching initiatives to foster AI-driven innovation. These government efforts provide a favourable environment for Swiss businesses and investors to enter the market and collaborate with local stakeholders. By leveraging these advantageous conditions, Swiss companies can navigate regulatory frameworks more easily and accelerate the implementation of AI projects. This is not to mention opening the potential for government contracts and partnerships for countries willing to learn from the Swiss AI experience.

IN SUM, investing in AI projects in Southeast Asia offers Swiss businesses a wealth of opportunities to expand their horizons and contribute to the region’s growth. The growing market potential and entry to the greater ASEAN market, access to talent and collaboration hubs, government support, and unique socioeconomic challenges make Southeast Asia an attractive destination for AI investments. Swiss companies and investors should seize the moment and harness the power of AI to drive innovation, create sustainable solutions, and establish themselves as leaders in this dynamic and promising region. By doing so, they can forge strong partnerships, unlock new markets, and secure a prosperous future in Southeast Asia.

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Shaping the Societal Acceptance & Development of Artificial Intelligence
It doesn’t matter how great new technological (or any) inventions are, if society doesn’t accept them, all the resources used for research and development goes down the drain. To ensure that new technologies can go through their entire lifecycle and pave the path for new inventions, many aspects come into play. Leaders and experts are one of these aspects and they play a pivotal role in the societal acceptance of these technologies.

Looking at AI From the Right Perspective
AI is an interesting newcomer (if newcomer at all). We use it, as part of end products or services, yet we feel sceptical about it – based on some unrealistic reputation built by the media and Hollywood. As a result, many people, when think about AI, tend to picture robots and avatars, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator, Ava in Ex Machina, David in Prometheus, or they have headlines popping in, such as “AI Will Overtake Humans in 5 Years”, “Humanity Should Fear Advances in Artificial Intelligence”, “Is the World Moving Towards Real Terminators?”, “AI Gained Consciousness”.

The invisibility of this technology also doesn’t make it easy for many of us to understand and accept it. Which is quite interesting as with most inventions we are actually not necessarily interested how they work, but rather what purpose they serve and how they contribute to our lives. Nevertheless, the case is different with AI. Which is not an strange issue after all, as we, human beings are naturally curious, but it certainly sets tougher standards and expectations for industries which need to be met. Organizations not only need to ensure that they comply with Technological Social Responsibility, but they also need to find ways to communicate to the public how the technology works and how they benefit from it.  The sources of these information have to be trusted, justified and credible. Industry experts and leaders play a pivotal role in the process of spotlighting the need for AI-based solutions, and with hands-on transparent insights create understanding and drive development.

“Industry experts and leaders play a pivotal role in the process of spotlighting the need for AI-based solutions, and with hands-on transparent insights create understanding drive development.”

AI Experts in the Spotlight
To ensure that our products and services increasingly benefit from the power of AI across industries, credible experts with hands-on practical insights need to be put more into the public eye. Reason being is that their expertise, skills, experience, and limitless curiosity don’t only serve as mediums to advance AI, but also as a mediums to demystify this technology, create understanding, and  build public trust.

Global AI Ambassadors on a Joint Mission
With the purpose of demystify AI, creating understanding, and  building public trust, and with the strong SwissCognitive principle of “Share for Success”, a global network of AI experts have been created, consisting of 50 AI Ambassadors. These incredibly inspiring minds have been carefully selected by the core and extended Team of SwissCognitive, World-Leading AI Network strictly on the basis of their personal accomplishments – regardless companies, organizations or products. They meet various tough criteria concerning for instance expertise, experience and, very importantly, trust. The AI Ambassadors believe in the smart combination of human and artificial intelligence that can drive businesses and societies forward. They are propelled by passion and committed to share their knowledge & experience with an interdisciplinary approach. They are driven to involve communities worldwide in the AI journey, stimulate information flow across borders and disciplines, and while building trust, play a crucial role in demystifying AI.

The current network of AI Ambassadors is spread out on six continents and consists of experts with an average of twenty years of experience in AI. The power of the network of AI Ambassadors lies in collaboration – reducing misconceptions, spotlighting applications, potentials and challenges and driving the development forward together to the point where the limitation of this technology is only our imagination.

Find out who these experts are! Connect with them on social media and get practical, realistic and un-hyped insights with them into the world of AI.

“The power of the network of AI Ambassadors lies in collaboration – reducing misconceptions, spotlighting applications, potentials and challenges and driving the development forward together to the point where the limitation of this technology is only our imagination.”

Global AI Ambassadors 2022
Aleksandra Przegalinska, Angelica Sirotin, Ann Aerts, Antonio Russo, Aruna Pattam, Ashley Casovan, Carolina Pinart, Christian Guttmann, Claire Matuka, Clara Langevin, Craig Ganssle, Daniel Angerhausen, David Meza, Enrico Molinari, Erik Nygren, Eva Schönleitner, Ganesh Padmanabhan, Heinz V. Hoenen, Irakli Beridze, Jacques Ludik, Jayant Narayan, John Kamara, Marisa Tschopp, Muhannad Alomari, Nancy Nemes, Ngozi Bell, Pascal Bornet, Ria Persad, Ricardo Chavarriaga, Sophie Achermann, Steffen Konrath, Tania Peitzker, Thomas Helfrich, Tom Allen, Umberto Michelucci, Utkarsh Amitabh, Utpal Chakraborty, Alexandra Ebert, Andeed Ma, Chad Osorio, Frida Polli, Giselle Mota, Jeff Winter, Johan Steyn, Kim Dressendoerfer, Leila Toplic, Natasja Ludik, Bret Greenstein, Andreas Welsch, Giuliano Liguori

Countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Continents: Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia,

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When not lecturing at universities and institutions, Chad serves as legal and business consultant to various companies in Asia, Europe and the US.

Chad is a strong advocate of AI humanism, combining perspectives from social psychology, environmental and behavioural economics, and international law towards social benefit maximization of AI.

He devotes his spare time volunteering in underprivileged communities. Active in: academia, business strategy and corporate innovation, and the development sector.

Der Beitrag Chad Osorio erschien zuerst auf SwissCognitive | AI Ventures, Advisory & Research.

SwissCognitive Guest Blogger: Chad Patrick Osorio, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Sociov – “All Hands on Deck: AI and the Economics of Sustainable Development”

The focus of the United Nations on Sustainable Development is unquestionable. It seeks to permeate the concept into every aspect of its projects and programmes all over the world.

One of the most popular, yet simplest, definitions of Sustainable Development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This means thinking not just of ourselves and our consumption, but of the generations to come as well.

Sustainable development also means equitable development. It is important to always keep in mind that in our quest for sustainability, we must not forget the plight of developing countries, vulnerable groups and underserved populations.

Sustainable Development and Economics

When we talk about sustainable and equitable development, an understanding of economics is necessary.

Economics is a social science focused on the efficient allocation of resources in order to maximize human happiness. It is the study of scarcity, and how it could be overcome.

While many people associate economics with money, it’s not necessarily just about that: money is simply the easiest fungible means to correlate to human happiness. After all, money can provide access to essential and non-essential resources alike which can comprise satisfaction. However, we all know that money isn’t necessarily the end-all and be-all of human contentment.

This is why, aside from money-based measures for economic growth like the Gross Domestic Product and Gross National Product, we have other measures which could also indicate economic growth, such as the Human Development Index and the World Happiness Report.

At the same time, this is why the study of economics can be applied, directly or subsidiarily, to other concepts not necessarily involving money, including political economy and the economics of power, the economics of information, and the economic analysis of law and policy, among many others.

Two key aspects of the economics of sustainable development are natural resource economics and environmental economics. The first field focuses on Earth’s natural resources, including extraction to meet supply, demand for provisions, utilization, and allocation. On the other hand, the latter looks at how socio-economic activities impact the natural environment, and vice versa. It concentrates on non-provisioning ecosystem resources, including life system and habitat support, amenity services, waste sink, and biodiversity.

This is why, if advocating for sustainable development and the proper allocation of both environmental and natural resources, it is important to consider not just the wants and needs of the present generation, but plan for sufficient contingencies for future generations as well.

Understanding the SDGs

The ultimate aim of the UN is to advance the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using them as guiding light towards a better 2030. The SDGs evolved from the Millennium Development Goals.

From the headers alone, seven of the SDGs are directly environmentally-related, but it’s important to note that they do not exist in vacuums. These goals are interconnected. This means, for instance, that both SDG 14: Life Below Water and SDG 15: Life On Land affect SDG 2: Zero Hunger. SDG 13: Climate Action is a necessary component of SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being. The number of examples on how the SDGs are interrelated are factorial. Thus, they must be viewed not as isolated areas requiring only skilled expertise in their respective fields, but rather also from the macro, multidisciplinary perspective.

There are so many new technologies available which could potentially prove ground-breaking in meeting these goals. In fact, applying economics, one of the key considerations is the environment-economy trade-off, illustrated by the Environmental Kuznets Curve. This concept states that as economies improve, environmental deterioration is bound to increase; however, there comes a turning point at which the income can compensate for the environmental deterioration, and can thus be used to invest in programs, projects and technologies which could contribute to environmental improvement.

This is true to a certain extent. However, regardless of the different technologies being able to replicate the production of natural resources to meet human needs and wants, it will be immensely difficult, if not impossible, for them to replicate non-provisioning environmental resources.

Take, for example, biodiversity as a non-provisioning human resource. Biodiversity cannot be artificially manufactured: studies show that introduction of genetically-manipulated species into the wild “diminish rather than enhance biodiversity.” Therefore, the argument that technology can make up for environmental degradation fails this test, considering that any loss in biodiversity should be deemed irreversible, and exponentially so. This in turn supports the idea that permanent harms such as this cannot in any measurable way be mitigated by all the money in the world.

A Global Neural Network to Meet the SDGs

One of the most touted new technologies in recent time is AI. There are many different kinds of AI use-cases, and its application in forwarding sustainable development is myriad.

When we talk about AI, sustainable development and applied economics, one of the first use-cases which comes to mind is usually about sustainable finance: how can AI help find ESG-conscious investors to boost ROI? After all, sustainable development comes at a price.

Searching through thousands of SDG-focused projects and applying predictive analytics to identify which ones could have the statistically-significant chances of success could prevent opportunity losses stemming from inefficient project financing.

Another use case is intelligent image analysis from satellites, and how it can inform policymakers and key actors areas of priority for investments in their protection and development.

Power grids integrating AI for efficiency purposes can serve the goals of SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Innovation is also a key concept in economics. Neural networks can identify innovative practices and techniques and connect them to various SDGs to come up with novel applications of existing technologies to address industry-specific challenges.

There are just some of the many more examples of how AI and sustainable development can intersect, and these comprise just a very small sample. Indeed, estimates show that by 2030, AI could potentially contribute up to US$5.2 trillion to the global economy, if sufficiently integrated into environmental applications. It can significantly increase green production, lower carbon emissions and add millions of skilled jobs to the labor market worldwide.

Conclusion

As an environmental economist and lawyer, I am always for the fair application of sustainable, equitable development through domestic and international legal mechanisms implementing the SDGs.

As someone working in the field of high tech, I deeply believe that AI, combined with a humanist perspective, can help meet these goals in so many different ways, as outlined above.

However, as I always tell my students, this optimism comes with great caution. AI and other deep tech only serve as a safety net; they’re not necessarily the complete answer to all the challenges faced by sustainable development.

Let’s go back to the Kuznets Curve. Originally, it was conceptualized to apply to equality. Its thesis was that poor economies have increasing inequalities up until a certain point, where afterwards economies will continue to improve but the inequalities would decrease.

If this were true, however, rich countries would have low rates of inequality. However, we know that this is not the case.

I remain hopeful about the Environmental Kuznets Curve, especially with the enormous potential utility that AI and other similar technologies can provide towards meeting the SDGs. However, we should not rely on these technologies alone.

Understanding and implementing sustainable development is a multi-perspective, multi-disciplinary challenge, and as such, both deep tech and economics are just two of the many fields which could be explored to forward its goal. In order to achieve the SDGs, we will need more than just these two fields: rather, we need all hands on deck, working together, for a better, more sustainable future.

About the Author:

Chad Patrick Osorio is Senior Lecturer for Economics at the University of the Philippines Los Banos. He is External Consultant and former Head of Research for ALPHA10X, and current Chief Legal Officer of Sociov, a data-driven coaching and mentoring platform. Send comments and queries to https://chadvice.co/

Der Beitrag All Hands on Deck: AI and the Economics of Sustainable Development erschien zuerst auf SwissCognitive | AI Ventures, Advisory & Research.