POLANGUI, Albay – The Albay Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AIAI) here will be a place for learning, experimentation and innovation, former 2nd District congressman Joey Salceda said of his “birthday gift” to his province mates.
The AIAI, the first local government-driven learning institution of such nature in the country, will have free online programs and assessments with national certificate from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“We want people not to be afraid of AI, because whether we like it or not, AI is already there and continues to advance,” the former lawmaker said. “Artificial intelligence is the next leap. AI will also transform the economy.”
Salceda said AIAI is his birthday gift to this town and the province as a whole. The launch in Barangay Sucgad was held Oct. 27, a day after he turned 64.
The 2,000 square meter facility will also house the Disaster Risk Reduction Training Institute, also an advocacy of Salceda, and a Land Transportation Office branch.
Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
After his term in Congress ended in June, Salceda now chairs the Institute for Risk and Strategic Studies, Inc., also called the Salceda Research which focuses on economic and fiscal reforms, risk reduction and management, and other vital strategic policy concerns.
“Artificial intelligence has advanced faster than almost any other technology. What we thought would take 10 years materialized in just two years. Systems that looked experimental in 2022 could already pass professional examinations by 2024. Even TESDA’s 2024 modules are now outdated,” he said.
Advertisement
Salceda pointed out that the International Monetary Fund ranks the Philippines low in AI readiness.
“In many universities, the first reaction to AI has been fear. Some schools even ban it completely. Only a few, like the University of the Philippines Los Baños (Laguna) have rules that allow and guide its use. This attitude will make us even more ill-prepared for AI. Progress in human civilization has always followed improvements in computing,” he said.
“From writing to record trade, to mathematics for navigation, to machines that perform millions of calculations per second, each leap expands what the human mind could do.”
Salceda said that at the core of most AI systems is natural language processing, which allows computers to understand and generate human language.
Advertisement
“At Salceda Research, we reviewed college curricula under the Commission on Higher Education. In accounting, as much as 80 percent of tasks can already be done by AI. Most f what cannot be replaced by AI are related to judgment and systems thinking,” he said.
“You no longer need to code. If you can describe your idea clearly, AI can turn it into code for you,” he said. “The world will not slow down for those whom AI can outperform. We are entering a time when adaptation is not optional. We must prepare, learn and lead.”
Salceda also said he wants to advance science in Albay.
“Our province has long been a living laboratory of nature and resilience. We live beside a volcano, along the typhoon belt, and within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Science must always guide our growth — from disaster risk reduction to climate adaptation and artificial intelligence,” he said.
Advertisement
Albay, he said, can lead Filipinos by showing how science can save lives, create livelihoods and sustain development.
“If the rest of the Philippines cannot move fast enough, Albay will take the lead and do it,” he said.
