How did the AI conversation in PH Congress start?

In 2023, I worked briefly with the office of Congressman Mark Go to bring AI to the Plenary in Congress. At that time, artificial intelligence was still a peripheral topic in Philippine policymaking, fascinating to a few, misunderstood by many, and largely absent from mainstream legislative discussions. Fewer than five AI-related bills had been filed, and most of them sought to explore AI from the standpoint of education, research, and capacity building. It was a moment when the questions were open-ended, the tone was curious, and the field was wide with possibility.

It was within this context that Congressman Mark Go delivered a privilege speech that would come to mark an early turning point in our national conversation on artificial intelligence. Standing before the House of Representatives, he spoke not merely of a technology, but of an era, one already unfolding around us, reshaping ordinary life even before the country had begun to fully grasp its implications. AI, he noted, had quietly embedded itself in the apps we used to navigate traffic, the platforms that curated our entertainment, and the digital tools that mediated much of our work and education.

But he did not speak with apprehension. Instead, his message was rooted in a sober but hopeful recognition of both opportunity and risk. AI, he said, had the potential to expand productivity, augment human intelligence, and unlock new forms of innovation. Yet he also recognized its attendant challenges, job transformation, disinformation, privacy concerns, and the widening digital divide. These were not abstractions but concrete realities that demanded thoughtful attention.

What distinguished Congressman Go’s position was the clarity of his conviction: the true danger lay not in AI itself, but in the possibility that Filipinos might enter this new era unprepared. For him, education was the first and most necessary response, our national shield against obsolescence, inequality, and technological dependency.

Train 1%

This conviction led him to articulate one of the boldest proposals presented on the House floor: the idea of training 1% of the Filipino population, one million citizens, in the fundamentals of AI. He drew inspiration from Finland’s groundbreaking initiative, which had trained 1% of its people in AI literacy long before generative AI reshaped global discourse. This model, he argued, could serve as a blueprint for democratizing access to AI knowledge in the Philippines, empowering not only students and teachers but workers, career shifters, and underserved communities.

More than a statistical target, his proposal gestured toward a broader philosophy: that technological empowerment must be inclusive. AI should not be the domain of elite programmers, specialized researchers, or privileged institutions. It should be accessible to every Filipino willing to learn, innovate, and participate in the future of work.

Fund Research

Complementing this educational vision was Congressman Go’s call for a national AI research grant, a dedicated facility that would support universities, local colleges, state institutions, and startups in developing homegrown AI solutions. Such a facility, he argued, would serve as both catalyst and safeguard: it would accelerate innovation while reducing the country’s dependence on external technological infrastructures. It would nurture the kind of research ecosystem capable of steering AI toward national development priorities rather than merely reacting to foreign advances.

He also addressed concerns over job displacement, citing parallels with previous technological revolutions, from the printing press to the internet, where certain roles disappeared but entirely new ones emerged. The challenge, he said, was not to resist change but to prepare for it. Studies, including those from Microsoft and academic institutions, revealed that AI tended to lift the productivity of newer or less skilled workers the most, narrowing, rather than widening, skill gaps. This insight offered a powerful counter-narrative to fears of technological elitism.

The Dark Side

Still, Congressman Go did not shy away from discussing the darker contours of AI. He warned of disinformation, one of the most urgent threats posed by generative technologies, as well as the ethical questions surrounding creative AI systems trained on existing human works. He also stressed the critical issue of digital inequality: without equitable internet access, the benefits of AI would flow disproportionately to urban and affluent communities, leaving others further behind. The promise of AI, he insisted, could only be realized through an accompanying commitment to expand connectivity and infrastructure.

What made his speech remarkable was not merely its breadth, but its balance. It refused both uncritical enthusiasm and reactionary fear. Instead, it offered a framework for responsible progress, one grounded in education, innovation, and ethical stewardship.

What Happened?

Looking back from today’s more enforcement-oriented AI discourse, the speech reads almost prophetic. In a time when global anxieties over AI safety, regulation, and corporate concentration dominate headlines, Congressman Go’s message reminds us of the foundational steps the country needed to take long before enforcement could even be meaningful.

We cannot regulate what we do not understand. We cannot supervise systems we are not equipped to build. And we cannot protect citizens who lack the literacy to navigate AI’s risks and opportunities. His proposals, training 1% of Filipinos, establishing a national AI research facility, strengthening academic and startup ecosystems, were not merely policy suggestions. They were nation-building strategies.

As the Philippines now grapples with the rapid acceleration of AI, the speech stands as a hopeful and necessary reminder: progress begins with people. Prepared, empowered, and educated citizens are the foundation of a resilient, innovative, and future-ready nation. And in 2023, when the country’s AI journey in Congress was still in its infancy, Congressman Mark Go offered precisely that vision.

About Me:

Dominic “Doc” Ligot is one of the leading voices in AI in the Philippines. Doc has been extensively cited in local and global media outlets including The Economist, South China Morning Post, Washington Post, and Agence France Presse. His award-winning work has been recognized and published by prestigious organizations such as NASA, Data.org, Digital Public Goods Alliance, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF.

If you need guidance or training in maximizing AI for your career or business, reach out to Doc via https://docligot.com.

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