AI for gender equality: Closing the digital divide in PH

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) hosted an event on Thursday discussing how AI can close the digital gender divide.

The roundtable discussion on “Inclusive Innovation: Navigating the Intersection of Technology, Gender, and Responsibility” tackled how women can use artificial intelligence to access more opportunities. 

READ: USAID kicks off 1st part of AI Workshop

The event informed policy development so Filipino citizens and businesses could take full advantage of emerging technology safely and productively.

How can AI help close the digital gender divide?

The joint conference invited Gina Romero, the Founder of Connected Women AI, to elaborate on providing more opportunities to women with artificial intelligence.

Connected Women AI is a high-growth services company that provides AI and digital task outsourcing solutions to the global digital industry.

It employs and trains a local pool of upskilled Filipino women in marginalized communities to perform these tasks, often involving AI labeling.

AI labeling is identifying or describing images, sounds, and other media so that artificial intelligence models can use them for training. 

For example, Connected Women workers may identify street signs so that AI in self-driving cars can recognize them on the road. 

These roles help these ladies earn income while working from home, allowing them to cover various daily expenses. 

These positive results show that the Philippines needs more investments and institutional support to expand reskilling and upskilling opportunities to more women. 

“Gender disparity in technology fields is not just a loss of economic opportunity but poses significant risks to society,” Romero said.

“Women’s full and equal participation in technology and AI is key to creating a safe and equitable digital landscape,” she added. 

Romero emphasized that women’s participation is also essential in mitigating bias, promoting transparency, and ensuring data protection in the tech industry.

This USAID, PCC, and NEDA discussion on AI and the digital gender divide is the third of six. It tackles new and emerging technologies, particularly AI, for informed and future-ready legislation in the country. 

The three agencies have been advocating for updating ICT laws in the Philippines and the immediate passage of the Open Access in Data Transmission or “Konektadong Pinoy.”

The latter will provide more reliable, affordable, and expedient internet that will unlock digitalization’s full economic potential for all Filipinos.