Tag: AI

AI Eyed For Integration Into Philippine Government Operations

AI Eyed For Integration Into Philippine Government Operations

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During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) recently held in South Korea, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., stated that his administration is pursuing artificial intelligence (AI) and integrate it across the agencies of the Philippine government sooner than later, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

President Marcos said his administration is determined to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) across government agencies “as much as we can, as soon as we can,” warning that waiting too long would mean missing out on opportunities for innovation and efficiency.

“You’re missing a chance if you wait,” Marcos told reporters here on Saturday evening, Nov. 1.

“AI is going to come. Parang alon ‘yan, eh. Kahit anong gawin mo, mababasa ka (AI is like a wave — no matter what you do, you’ll get wet),” he added.

The President said the Philippines must quickly learn how to use AI “in the best, secure, and benevolent way” to serve the public, warning that failure to adapt could leave the country behind.

“If you do not learn how to swim, if you do not learn how to use AI properly, may iwanan ka talaga (You’ll be left behind),” he said.

According to Marcos, AI’s rapid evolution makes it necessary for governments to study and apply the technology carefully.

“What AI can do one month ago is different from what AI will be able to do one month from now. That’s why people can’t quite understand it — it learns,” he said.

He described AI as “such a powerful tool” that could transform governance, public service, and economic competitiveness.

“You must take advantage of it as quickly as possible. You have to learn how to use it as quickly as possible,” the President said.

He added that other world leaders in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) share the same sense of urgency.

“That’s one of my big takeaways from APEC. All the other leaders as well — they recognize how quickly AI will overwhelm us if we do not learn how to handle it properly,” he said.

Not a one-size-fits-all approach – Asked whether he plans to issue a directive guiding agencies on AI adoption, Marcos said it was too early to impose a blanket policy.

“It’s not yet clear what AI you use for government,” he said.

“Each department has a slightly different AI. We have to learn — we’re still studying,” he added.

The President said the government intends to consult both local and international experts to identify which applications of AI are most useful and which areas require caution.

“We have to talk to the experts — the whole world — and find out what does it do well, what doesn’t it do well,” he said.

Still, Marcos emphasized that AI adoption must be people-centered, helping Filipinos rather than replacing them.

In my opinion, using AI for governance and public service still looks uncertain. Considering how powerful or sophisticated AI has gotten today, it can be prone to abuse by the government. Worse, there is no guarantee right now how to protect human users from getting overwhelmed in the event that AI becomes self-aware and turns rogue against humanity. Just two years ago, GMA Network came up with fake sportscasters (both generated by AI) which caused some controversy here in the Philippines and only reminded people that AI has no soul and no humanity. Apart from being harmful to human workers in the business world, lots of AI applications made errors that affected users in varying ways. AI is currently not so effective in Japan in relation to finding solutions to their rice production problems. Watch and learn from the videos below.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think AI will really be helpful with regards to governance and public service? Do you think Congress should first make a new law and a series of rules covering AI? What safety measures should be taken to protect people in case rogue AI happens? Do you think the AI move is a convenient strategy of the administration to keep people’s attention away from the flood control corruption scandals and the weakening economic growth of the country?  

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 69

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 69

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Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

Val Kilmer remembered – In case you missed the news, actor Val Kilmer passed away at age 65. He contributed a lot to the art of cinema for decades and had many memorable performances in films like Top Gun, Heat, Top Secret!, and Tombstone to name a few. He appeared in a very touching scene in Top Gun: Maverick. In memory of him, posted below are assorted videos of his past works.  

#2 PatmanQC examines Galaga – Originally released in arcades in 1981, Galaga is a classic 2D shooter game that consistently provided gamers bouts of fun, unique challenges and an immersive science fiction feel. Through the decades, I played it in the arcade and on game consoles, and the fun was always there. The production history of Galaga is pretty interesting and it includes developmental challenges connected with hardware limitations, revision of creative ideas and the like. PatmanQC’s examination of the history of Galaga is a must-watch!

The entire Terminator film franchise examined – From 1984 to 2019, a total of six movies of the Terminator film franchise got released. If you ask me, only The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are the ones worth replaying and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) made them even more socially relevant. Then there are those who really liked Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines as it was a very expensive follow-up to its predecessor. Terminator Salvation attracted moviegoers with its portrayal of the future war between man and machines. In recent times, YouTuber Outside Intel posted its in-depth retrospective of all the six Terminator movies, and it lasts over an hour. If you are feeling nostalgic about Terminator films, this is a must-see.

Fictional TV news reports and commercials from RoboCop (1987) – Remember the first time you ever saw RoboCop inside the cinema way back in 1987? If you did, do you still remember how you first reacted when you saw the fictional TV news reports and commercials that were played within the context of the film’s story? In case you have forgotten, posted below is a YouTube that conveniently collects them all for you to see.

James Gunn’s Superman looking super bad right now – There is a brand new Superman movie directed by James Gunn coming out months from now. While the first teaser of the film looked interesting, the newest teaser made the upcoming movie look bad. Among all the reactions towards the latest Superman 2025 sneak peak, Ranting for Vengeance and Ben Shapiro have the most opinionated and most analytical reactions of them all. Watch the videos below and ask yourselves this – do you really want to see James Gunn’s very own take on Superman and the DC Comics characters?

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Citigroup sees Philippine economy expanding by about 6% this year

Citigroup sees Philippine economy expanding by about 6% this year

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In the perspective of Citigroup, Inc. (Citi), the economy of the Philippines will grow this year by around 6%, pointing to the growth of the business process outsourcing (BPO), according to a BusinessWorld news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of BusinessWorld Some parts in boldface…

CITIGROUP, INC. (Citi) expects the Philippine economy to expand by around 6% this year, partly driven by sustained growth in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

“We expect the growth in 2025 to stay within the 6% handle,” Citi Asia South Head Amol Gupte said in an online briefing on Monday.

Citi’s forecast would be at the low end of the government’s 6-8% target for the year.

“The Philippines will continue to benefit from [the BPO industry] and will create a lot of jobs. On moving up the value chain on global capability centers, countries like the Philippines will play a very large role along with India,” Mr. Gupte said.

The information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry ended 2024 with $38 billion in export revenue, and 1.82 million full-time employees.

Under the Philippine IT-BPM Industry Roadmap, the target is to grow into a $59-billion industry and increase the full-time employee count to 2.5 million by 2028.  

“So, I think it’s really important that the Philippines, as it thinks about the BPO industry, moves up the value chain so that it retains and bring more middle-office kinds of jobs beyond the voice jobs that exist in the tens of thousands,” Mr. Gupte said.

However, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could be a risk to the IT-BPM sector in the Philippines.

“There’s also the risk to that in terms of what AI will do to that industry and whether that will reduce jobs,” Mr. Gupte said.

Meanwhile, Citi South Asia Corporate Banking Head K Balasubramanian said sustained economic growth ensures that Philippine banks are well-positioned to continue to generate profits.

“I think the financial profile of the Filipino banks continues to be very strong, and with 6% growth I think they are well capitalized to look at the opportunities ahead,” he said.

As of end-September 2023, the Philippine banking system’s net profit rose by 6.4% to P290 billion as both net interest and non-interest income grew.

“We just saw the upgraded Philippine sovereign rating that happened in the fourth quarter of last year. And if you look at the impact of that on the Republic of Philippines, as well as the state-owned banks of the Philippines, I think that’s going to be crucially positive because we are now up to BBB+,” Mr. Balasubramanian said.

“(This) means that the ability to access international financing is going to be better and even the cost of the access is going to be better than what it was in the past.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think Citgroup is correct about its research on the Philippine economy? Do you think the BPO industry will contribute a lot to the economic growth of the nation this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

COMELEC eyes prohibition on the use of AI and deepfake technology during 2025 election campaign period

COMELEC eyes prohibition on the use of AI and deepfake technology during 2025 election campaign period

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With the next local and national elections set for May 2025, local authorities will have to work harder to preserve election integrity and Philippine democracy itself as more people and even companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology on their projects. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is eyeing a ban on AI and deepfake technology, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.  

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking into prohibiting the use of deepfake technology and artificial Intelligence (AI) during the campaign period for the May 2025 midterm polls.

In an interview Wednesday, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the measure is timely as these technologies might create confusion among voters.

“Maganda mapag-usapan na kung dapat ipagbawal ang paggamit ng AI or deepfakes sa kampanya. Dapat ‘yung makatotohanan na kampanya. Kukumbinsihin ko ang ating Commission en banc na ipagbawal namin sa campaign ang paggamit ng deepfakes at Al sapagkat madami po ang nalilito, misrepresentation, madaming hindi makatotohanan na nangyayari kapag ginagamit po ‘yan (It would be good if we can tackle the ban on the use of AI or deepfakes in election campaign. Campaign should be realistic. I would convince our Commission en bacn to ban the use of deepfakes and AI in election campaign because many are being confused and it can cause misrepresentation. We are veering away from reality if we use these),” he said.

Deepfakes are an advanced form of digital content manipulation through generative AI, where a person in an image or video is swapped with another person’s likeness.

Garcia said personal interactions between poll bets and the electorate is much better than communicating using new techonologies.

“Alam po natin ang (We are aware of) modern technology. Bakit ba hindi? Subalit dapat po, kapag kampanya, ikaw mismo ang nakikita ng sambayanan. Ikaw mismo ang nanliligaw sa kanila. (Why not? But during campaign period, you the candidate should be visible to the people. You should court them personally),” he said.

Garcia, however, said he is open to the ideas of other members of the en banc who would like to allow AI use during campaign.

”Kaya lang sa ating palagay, masyado itong threat sa ating demokrasya, sa tunay na dapat ginagawa kapag halalan at may kampanya (But in my view, this is a big threat to our democracy, to the reality of what should be done during elections and campaign),” he said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that AI and deepfake technology will be abused by people who have cruel intentions to ruin Philippine democracy as we know it? Do you think antagonistic forces like China (which has been in conflict with the Philippines on the sea west of our country) will use AI and deepfake technology to mess with future elections in our country? Are you aware that AI has no soul? Would you vote for candidates who use deepfake technology during the election campaign period?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Cybercrime cases nationwide fell down almost 25% in January 2024

Cybercrime cases nationwide fell down almost 25% in January 2024

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The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced recently that the number of cybercrime cases nationwide fell down by almost 25% during the month of January 2024 in comparison to January 2023 specifically, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Cybercrime cases in the country dropped by 24.72 percent in January, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

In a statement, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia said 1,458 cases were logged last month from 1,937 cases in the same month in 2023.

He said the downturn shows significant progress in the ongoing battle against cyber threats and the continuous implementation of cybercrime preventive measures.

These measures include sustaining strong partnerships and collaboration with public and private stakeholders, providing cyber safety tips, engaging in media interviews, hosting informative broadcasts, distributing educational materials, and conducting lectures and seminars which greatly contributed to the overall reduction in cybercrime incidents, Hernia added.

“The PNP ACG urges the community to fearlessly report any instances of cybercrime or file complaints against these perpetrators. By doing so, we can effectively apprehend these offenders and put an end to their illicit activities, thereby preventing others from becoming victims of cybercrime,” Hernia said.

Meanwhile, the PNP-ACG warned parents anew to monitor the social media accounts of their children to protect them against sex predators.

On Monday, ACG operatives arrested a 45-year-old man for blackmailing a female minor using her nude photos. Both the suspect and the victim’s identities were withheld.

“Our team engaged in the suspect in the conversation which led to the entrapment in Paco, Manila,” Guillermo said.

The nude photos, PNP-ACG Cyber Response Unit chief Col. Jay Guillermo said, were used by the suspect in attempting to force the minor to a meet-up.

It all started when the victim accepted the suspect’s friend request, after he helped her pay for the burial expenses of her brother-in-law.

Guillermo said the suspect started to chat with the victim and lured her into sending nude photos in exchange for a brand-new cellular phone and money.

The victim told her elder sister about the incident, who sought the assistance of the PNP-ACG when the suspect started blackmailing her.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent report? Does this latest development make you feel safer to be online? Do you know anyone in your household who got victimized by some cyber-criminal? Do you think the PNP has what it takes to fight cybercrime that is enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI)?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

GMA Network’s fake Filipinos (AI sportscasters) should remind you that AI has no soul

GMA Network’s fake Filipinos (AI sportscasters) should remind you that AI has no soul

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Recently here in the Philippines, GMA Network made waves to boost their sports coverage by unveiling their artificial intelligence (AI) sportscasters named Maia and Marco which drew varied reactions from Filipinos online. Check out the official video unveiling of the AI sportscasters from GMA Integrated News’ YouTube channel below…

If you look at Maia and Marco’s unveiling, you probably would have been impressed with how photo-realistic they look and how almost human they sounded (including being able to speak Tagalog). They were made to look like Filipinos convincingly You might be saying to yourself that this is a shining example of Filipino achievement in the world of technology and be totally accepting of it. But make no mistake as Maia and Marco are indeed not real people (fake Filipinos) and most notably, they have no souls at all.

This bring me to the fact that AI has no soul and we humans must take action to prevent artificial intelligence from overwhelming us. Overseas, the development of AI is moving at a rapid face and the competing tech giants (which invested heavily on AI) involved are so focused on outmaneuvering and outdoing each other, they don’t seem to care about the possibilities that AI could turn into a rebellious force that could harm people around the world in multiple ways. Already, artificial intelligence and robotics are emerging as threats to humanity. To put things in perspective, watch the CBN News YouTube videos below…

With AI and robots left unchecked, a new form of religion that has nothing to do with God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit is emerging already. There are those who pulled themselves away from the Lord to dedicate themselves to intelligent robots, human-like AI-driven characters and other aspects of technology. I would not be surprised if I find out that GMA’s Maia and Marco are being idolized by some people right now (note: idolatry is both foolish and unholy).

In the world of entertainment, AI is already being used as a tool for visuals (combined with computer-generated imaging or CGI) which includes the process of recreating the likenesses of actors (both the living and the dead) to make characters on-screen look as real as possible. In relation, the digital ways of resurrecting dead actors to portray their respective characters is morally disturbing to say the very least. It should also be stated that AI itself is being used to make articles, essays and even scripts – literary pieces that were not composed by the human user himself/herself. Has it occurred to you that the movie or streaming show you watched used a script that was partially made with AI because the screenwriter took shortcuts when working? Learn from the YouTube videos of Dave Cullen below…

Going back to GMA Network and its AI sportscasters, a lot of Filipinos have been questioning how artificial intelligence will affect not only journalism but also Philippine sports broadcasting (a lively sector) and job opportunities (which millions nationwide need badly). No matter how life-like and charismatic they look on-screen, Maia and Marco are still fake Filipinos created with AI and CGI. They are characters, not human beings. Did GMA Network even try to search for talented and charismatic prospects for their sports broadcasting needs among the many living and breathing Filipinos present in the country? The Philippines has a population of over 100 million people and that includes many young adults and adults who can be employed.

Way back in 1992, in a response to Marvel Comics’ expression that creative people (their employees) are secondary to their comic book characters, Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld emphasized the need for a living and breathing work force to keep the company and the business moving.

“Without your creative people, there would be no Batman, there would be no Spider-Man, there would be no Hulk. That’s short-sighted as far as I am concerned. You will need warm bodies, warm creative bodies to create properties to keep your company going,” said Liefeld.

While he specifically did not talk about AI at all, what Liefeld said long ago is still highly relevant which companies and organizations here in the Philippines can learn from before going all-in with artificial intelligence (which will deprive job seekers the opportunities). At least in my view, AI is unnecessary with sports broadcasting. There is nothing like watching a live sports event happen in which the human broadcaster makes powerful or exciting verbal expressions whenever a fun moment happens during the game. That being said, do you seriously think an AI sportscaster can pull off such human reactions in natural and believable fashion for the millions of viewers watching? In case you did not notice, Maia and Marco of GMA still have that robotic tone with the ways they talked – undeniable proof that AI has no soul. Humans who work have souls.

In fairness, GMA Network is aware of the public’s concerns about AI with regards to ethics, human labor, journalism and more. Watch the GMA YouTube news video (mostly in Tagalog) below…

Regardless of how AI develops and make impact on Filipinos, what is clear to me is that measures must be taken to ensure that humans will always have an advantage over artificial intelligence. I am talking about the need for kill switches covering all AI applications and projects to ensure that human users will have the edge in the event that AI turns rogue against humanity. That being said, I encourage you readers to contact your congressional representative and tell him or her to make laws that will make kill switches on AI a requirement all over the Philippines, and that includes requiring all AI providers/makers (including the foreign entities) to comply. Users of AI should be prioritized always! Do you want ChatGPT to control you or destroy you and your family? Do you want robots with AI to be a major part of your household and your lifestyle? I don’t think so.

Once again, AI has no soul. If you want to cook, do it yourself. If you want to write a letter or an article, do it yourself. If you want to compose a teaching module or a new prayer for a bible-focused session in your local church, push AI out of the way to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and then proceed with the Lord’s command. By the way, artificial intelligence and technology could never understand the Holy Spirit and you definitely should never let them be part of your Christianity. No matter how many people around you worship AI, robots, science and technology, you should never let them pull you away from the Lord.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest development? Do you think GMA Network has set a bad example with their AI sportscasters Maia and Marco with regards to Philippine sports coverage and journalism in general? Why do you think the network wanted their AI sportscaster to look human? Do you think the technology of artificial intelligence will be abused by those who possess it here in the Philippines? Do you think Philippine Congress should come up with a new law requiring kill switches on all AI projects and applications within the country to ensure that users will still have an advantage in case AI goes rogue? Do you think a rogue AI can bring down the security and economy of the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco