Iloilo City – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST 6) in West Visayas will hold a three-day Artificial Intelligence (AI) Festival from August 11th to 13th.
The event aims to advocate for artificial intelligence and its ethical and responsible use, especially as AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life.
“This is part of an effort to position Region 6 as one of the nation's AI hubs,” Keithlyn Sarah Bernardino, DOST Assistant Regional Director of Technology Operations, said at a press conference Wednesday.
DOST 6 Regional Director Engineer Rowen Gelonga highlighted the need for strong support for the development of the AI sector.
He cited a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) survey. This shows that around 30% of current employment in the Philippines are “highly exposed to AI.”
“The ability needed to use AI can help people become more productive rather than banishing them,” Gelonga says.
Gelonga said he hopes to also pay attention to the ethical use of AI in the creative sector, a major contributor to the economy.
“We don't want it to be undermined due to the irresponsible use of AI. So we are facing this issue straight away. We cannot ignore the use of AI in the creative sector.
The festival will have four sub-events, including AI Hackathon, Technical Conference, Sineai and exhibitions.
Meanwhile, West Visaya's unified movement to accelerate startups and spinoff development (UMWAD) will become the DOST partner of the Hackathon, but the State University Regional Association will lead the Technical Council.
The Technology Conference will focus on debates on emerging trends, breakthroughs and applications, but the hackathon is a national showdown of student innovation.
The exhibition, led by the Iloilo branch of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce, will showcase cutting-edge AI initiatives and promote industry, academe and government collaboration. Meanwhile, Sine AI will explore the role of technology in the creative industry through its AI film production class in partnership with West Visais State University Information and Communication Technology. (PNA)
