| The National AI Strategy Roadmap and the pending AI-related bills in the Philippine Congress demonstrate the urgency of a government response to the potential of AI. However, the pursuit of economic growth and the rush to provide training opportunities necessitates careful consideration of its misuse in terms of foreign surveillance, cybercrimes, and societal disharmony. This concern deserves urgent attention considering the importance of these in the National Security Policy. While capacity-building is important, readiness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not merely a matter of AI-related training but also of strengthening foundational skills, such as in reading, mathematics, and science, as well as critical literacy and critical digital literacy. The Philippines must improve its performance in these basic skills for a sustainable, skilled, and analytical future workforce. Besides policies geared toward the private sector, the government can work with civil society to understand the social impacts of AI and assist with the piloting of AI-related technology for marginalized groups, i.e., disaster management, weather prediction, crop yield prediction, and efficiency in water use in farms. |