By: Kathlean Pallorina
Photo from: Colegio de San Juan de Letran
“When we fail to innovate, we will cease to exist,” said Maria Rizza Torno-Robitzsch, a featured speaker at the event titled “Shaping Tomorrow: Ethical AI and the Transformation of Business Operations.”
It is a seminar held at the SC Auditorium of Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Philippines organized by Kristine Borromeo, hosted by Letran Graduate School in cooperation with GradSem Course Batch 2024 and The Manila Times last Saturday, October 26, 2024. The event addresses how much innovation is taking over different industries, and how we should adapt to the inevitable circumstance in order to conquer being overshadowed by its capability to replace us in the field.
In a presentation during the event, it was emphasized that our generation has been the prominent predator of Artificial Intelligence (AI) despite its whirlabout since the 1950’s. By its convenience, efficiency, and increased productivity, it is inevitable that everyone patronizes the use of it may it be within the ethical standards or beneath it. One of the most profound principles that should prevail as a consumer is honesty and integrity knowing how much AI can deceive not just its user, but also itself.
Transformation of Business Operations
Dr. Ria Liza C. Canlas introduced the frameworks of innovation, into how the Philippines has transitioned to digital, and to what it will be in the near future during the first part of the seminar. She consequently highlighted two important things in the Transformation of Business Operations wherein she discussed the difference of Innovation Input and Output.
“If we do not do any intervention in innovation, then we may not see any future in the next 10 years,” Dr. Canlas said.
She addressed that we are producing more output than what is expected. It signifies that “we are producing more than what we should actually produce,” causing loss for Filipinos. Although we are resourceful, we cannot turn these outputs to improve the quality of life for Filipinos because we must work on inputs. However, AI has been transforming lives by improving transactions, e-governance, environmental sustainability, manufacturing, digitalization, and transportation. By 2032, the Filipino Institutions will be highly accountable and collaborative that integrates themselves.
Humans cannot halt or dissolve how AI is part of the future, but we must manage the considerations with regards to its innovation and importance in government, healthcare, economic world, social, and education.
“Some haven’t fully grasped the concept of Artificial Intelligence and how it can inevitably be good or bad for us. That’s why there should be a fine line in its usage,” said Angelou Saqueza, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Human Resource Management student.
Ethics on Artificial Intelligence
“Disregard ethics, and the first victim will be us,” said Maria Rizza Torno-Robitzsch who addressed the gravity of ethics in the usage of AI in the second part of the seminar.
It is important for us to innovate in order to create a future for mankind, however, it is also important to use AI responsibly with utmost accountability. Policy makers and institutions such as the academe should manage how to mitigate the harm it can cause to its users. That it is in the hands of the Colegio and the government to handle how utilization of AI can be controlled, so that we will not be overpowered by it.
Speaker Torno-Robitzsch emphasized how Artificial Intelligence continues to advance day by day as more people use it, which is very unpredictable. Aside from the fact that it is uncontrollable, there also comes the fact that it is already embedded in human life. For everyone, it is the principal duty to understand how AI is functioning and what its role is in our lives.
AI being such a convenient tool in life, it is easy to lose grip of the basic moral and ethical considerations while using it.
“Some forgets the ethical standards due to the convenience of it, but it should not generate your academic papers. We use it in the Colegio, but It is not accurate even for our educators. That's why it is important that schools create Ethical Guidelines because we cannot avoid it, it is part of our future,” Angelou Saqueza said, who also knows how to generate Artificial Intelligence.
It is easy to get lost and be a victim of Artificial Intelligence due to generative AI. Nevertheless, it is grave to be a victim of ourselves by losing our ethics and morals.
“I am hoping that these students who will be the future of our society, at such a young age, will be able to use AI as a tool and utilize it morally right. To relate it in our reality, we need to advance in life and field. However, we may balance it. To use AI as a tool with moral standards,” said Kristine Borromeo, the organizer of the event who wishes that the fundamental purpose of the event was instilled on every attendee after seeing how AI has definitely changed our world.
Although it is hard to accept, change is inescapable no matter how much we fear it. What we should do is to not avoid its future interference in our lives, but to mitigate and utilize it as a captain so we are not driven by it. Truly, it is something to fear due to its capacity. While AI develops further understanding of itself, humanity becomes less humane. This underscores the importance of prioritizing ethical considerations in using technology; making it crucial for our government and institutions to establish clear regulations and guidelines to ensure responsible AI use. By doing so, we will not only safeguard our values but also ensure that technological advancements genuinely elevate humanity.
Ultimately, this seminar is a stepping stone of Universities, Colleges, and Schools in keeping abreast with the usage of Artificial Intelligence; that we become the pioneer of AI through equipment of knowledge, and not be a slave from the ignorance of it.