AT A GLANCE
Atmo will undertake cooperation activities to build a high-resolution weather forecasting system for the Philippines using AI technology.
Marcos says the Philippines is embracing the AI revolution to augment the existing skills of the Filipinos, increase the productivity of enterprises, and enhance the competitiveness of the economy.
Marcos acknowledges that the Philippines still has a distinct lack of trained talents.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and California-based tech company Atmo have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to establish Asia's largest artificial intelligence (AI)-driven weather forecasting program in the Philippines.
This developed as President Marcos witnessed the signing of the MOA between the two parties on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 16 (Manila time).
Atmo, a leading AI meteorology company, will undertake cooperation activities to build a high-resolution weather forecasting system for the Philippines using artificial intelligence technology.
This will be Asia's largest AI-driven weather forecasting program, playing a pivotal role in bolstering the Philippines' resilience in the face of climate change.
AI and cybersecurity
In his meeting with Silicon Valley investors, President Marcos said that the government is looking at AI technology and increasing capability in terms of knowledge and know-how.
Marcos said the government and private sector are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, pointing out the need for capability improvements.
"And the part that AI plays in this is also something that we need to be — at least to have put a good deal of thought to," he said.
"As I said, digitalizing our system, we have now to put in together; we need to have data centers, we need to have our own cloud so that we have, again, that capability," he added.
AI demands
As the government focused on upskilling and reskilling Filipino workers, President Marcos acknowledged that the Philippines still has a distinct lack of trained talents.
"We don't have enough engineers. That simple. So we need to get them trained, we need to get them... as part of the system," he said.
"And so again, we have really put a great deal of emphasis on retraining. These are new technologies," he added.
PH is AI-ready
Despite this, President Marcos highlighted that the Philippines is ready to embrace AI as he invited tech companies and venture capitalists to partner with the country in its technological revolution.
"The Philippines is ready to become your partner in navigating the AI future," he said.
"As we look to the horizon, let's 'Make It Happen in the Philippines,' where the promise of a future defined by technological inclusivity and shared growth is not just envisioned but actively realized," he added.
According to Marcos, the Philippines is currently embracing the AI revolution to augment the existing skills of the Filipinos, increase the productivity of enterprises, and enhance the competitiveness of the economy.
"We believe AI can uplift the lives of Filipinos. I'm certain our discussions here today will help the Philippines steer our roadmaps in a direction that maximizes the skills of Filipinos and helps them achieve their aspirations," he added.
Bringing AI tech to PH
David Dewalt, CEO of Nightdragon, a leading venture capital firm for cybersecurity, security, safety, and privacy, said his company and the other tech firms present are looking forward to bringing all the technologies that will benefit the Philippines, considering its young and robust workforce.
"The way I would say it is the Filipinos have an unbelievable ability to integrate into the global business systems as we do, maybe unmatched by any workforce on the planet," he said.
"I think using the upskilling and the retraining of those teams to focus on how we will — when we get the productivity benefits to invest in more resources, we can do that even more so in the Philippines with teams that are experts on generative AI," he added.
Ryan McInerney, CEO of Visa, said generative AI will be a leveling force for small businesses. He added generative AI will give microbusinesses, nanobusinesses, and small businesses the tools and capabilities to provide Filipinos with a rich shopping and commerce experience.
The roundtable meeting was co-organized by Dewalt, Bain, and Company CEO Emmanuel Maceda, Crescent Point Group Vice Chairman Thomas Pompidou, and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
They were joined by Microsoft Managing Director Michelle Gonzalez, Mandiant (A Google Company) CEO Kevin Mandia, and Group of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) Head Chris Emanuel.
Plug and Play Ventures CEO Saeed Amidi, Altimeter CEO Brad Gerstner, HP (formerly Hewlett-Packard) CEO Enrique Lores, Mastercard Co-President Ling Hai, and Anthropic were also present during the roundtable meeting.
