Lawmaker seeks to regulate use of AI technologies
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Photo from a video posted on the Facebook page of the House of Representatives)
MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers called on the country’s policymakers to consider the setup of a government body that would act as a “guardrail” in the local use and development of artificial intelligence (AI).
Barbers maintained it was urgent for the Philippines to create an office that would craft guidelines on and regulate AI technologies, citing the worldwide rush, particularly in the United States, Great Britain, the European Union, and some Southeast Asian countries, to draft regulations for their use.
Through his draft measure, House Bill No. 7396, Barbers seeks the creation of an AI Development Authority (Aida) to “oversee the development and deployment of AI technologies, ensuring compliance with AI ethics principles and guidelines, and protecting the rights and welfare of individuals and communities affected by AI technologies.”
HB 7396, which would also task Aida to come up with a national AI strategy, was referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
