Marcos wants full AI utilization for national dev’t, legislation

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has stressed the need for the country to fully utilize artificial intelligence (AI), saying it can help drive national development, including in legislation.

In Part 1 of the BBM Podcast Episode 6, aired on Tuesday, he was asked whether regulations on AI use would be imposed, given its growing presence among students and in the workforce.

READ: Marcos wants AI to flag anomalies in flood control works

“We’re talking about that because people keep saying that no matter what we do, it will always be there—it’s no longer going away—AI is already here. It will only continue to grow and expand,” he responded.

“There’s a saying about that. Legislation is always years behind technology. And the reason is that, generally, legislators don’t immediately understand technology. There are a few who are quite techie and understand it, but most don’t. So what should we legislate? What’s the best way for the Philippines to fully take advantage and maximize the use of AI?” he also said.

The president said AI will also be among the main topics he plans to raise during the Philippines’ upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026.

“I was doing a—making a list of subjects around AI that I wanted to discuss during the ASEAN. So I started it. Just simple, AI and education, AI and infrastructure, and AI and renewables,” he said.

“The longer you want—the more time you spend on it—the longer that list will become because it’s going to touch everything. And it’s important for us to understand it,” he added.

This is not the first time Marcos has expressed interest in integrating AI into government operations.

In a press conference in November, he said the government is considering the use of AI to effectively monitor the status of flood control projects in the country. /mr