Solon renews bid to create ‘superbody’ to govern AI dev’t

MANILA, Philippines – A Mindanao lawmaker has renewed calls for the creation of a “superbody” that will oversee the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Barbers, overall chair of the House quad committee and the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said the Philippines needs a multi-agency regulatory body that would deal with the AI revolution in order to augment the skills of Filipinos, increase the productivity of enterprises, and enhance the competitiveness of the economy.

“Almost all countries in the world are already formulating national policies or laws about the continuous development of knowledge about AI,” he said in Filipino.

“We should not be lagging behind these things because these have big impacts in our society, particularly in education, business and economy,” he added.

Barbers said the Department of Science and Technology, the University of the Philippines, and the Department of Education, among other government institutions, have crafted or are currently crafting their policies on AI.

But still, “we have no national agency yet that would handle and regulate it in a strategic and/or systematic manner,” he pointed out.

Barbers filed House Bill No.7396 last year that pushed for the creation of the Artificial Intelligence Development Authority, which would undertake the tasks, duties, and responsibilities in the development and implementation of a national AI strategy.

The Act Promoting the Development and Regulation of AI in the Philippines bats for a comprehensive framework for the development and regulation of AI.

Barbers said the rapid phase of technological advancement in AI poses risks and challenges that must be addressed to ensure that its benefits are maximized, and its negative impacts are minimized, if not avoided.”

The bill includes provisions to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals to prevent discrimination and bias in AI technologies.

The proposed national AI agency would act as a watchdog against unscrupulous individuals who would take advantage of or use AI for criminal ends.