TELECOM | Filipinos must be ‘co-creators’ in AI revolution — Smart COO
The Philippines has one of the fastest AI adoption rates in Asia, with more than 250,000 companies now using the technology, a 50% year-on-year increase.
Speaking before hundreds of industry participants at the first Philippine AWS Cloud Day, Smart COO Anastacio “Boy” R. Martirez reminded leaders that nothing beats the 'CEO's instinct' when it comes to decision-making.
Smart Communications Chief Operating Officer Anastacio “Boy” R. Martirez urged Filipino businesses and workers to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) while relying on human instinct to steer its use, during the first Philippine AWS Cloud Day.
Martirez told hundreds of industry participants that while AI can “process, create, predict, and personalize,” the ultimate responsibility for decisions remains with people. “It’s really the CEO’s instinct that must guide our decisions, not AI,” he said, echoing a message he delivered at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year.
The Philippines has one of the fastest AI adoption rates in Asia, with more than 250,000 companies now using the technology, a 50% year-on-year increase. Businesses report an average 18% revenue growth and 70% productivity gains from AI adoption, Martirez noted.
Still, he warned that technology is not enough without skilled workers. With 57% of companies citing lack of digital skills as a major barrier, he called for a national AI literacy campaign to ensure broader participation. “Tech without skills is useless,” Martirez said. “We need a national AI literacy drive so that everyone, from BPO agents to barangay health workers, can use AI.”
Smart, in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), is developing a Center of Excellence for AI in the Philippines to strengthen data and AI capabilities and deliver more personalized customer services. Martirez said the initiative aligns with the PLDT Group’s broader mission to support digital inclusion, network infrastructure, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“We aim to make every Filipino a co-creator in the AI revolution,” he said. “AI could widen the digital divide or make the Philippines the world’s lab for inclusive AI. We choose the latter.”
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