AI Summit PH 2023: Redefining the Future with AI

Gathering over a thousand industry and government leaders, experts, tech practitioners, and members of the academe over two days, the inaugural AI Summit in the Philippines, organized by Aboitiz Data Innovation in partnership with Union Bank of the Philippines, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, and Google Cloud, saw a convergence of ideas and knowledge on how current technologies—especially artificial intelligence (AI)—is shaping the future.

Day 2 of the AI Summit PH 2023 showcased a meaningful performance on the evolution of AI and how it has developed into the prominent technology that it is today.

Touted as the country’s biggest AI event, the summit, which happened last May 10 and 11 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, featured important discussions on AI, particularly how it can transform businesses and governments and advance communities. The summit focused on three tracks: Data Science and Transformation in Financial Services, Powering Smart Cities through Data, and Operationalizing Data Science and AI. Leading financial services firms like UnionBank, along with BPI and Maybank, took part in the fraud prevention panel, while digital banks UnionDigital, GoTyme, and Maya shared how AI technology can help boost efficiency and financial inclusion.

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Atty. Ivan John Uy (fifth from left) with Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) Management Committee and Board of Directors (from L to R) Group Chief Data and AI Officer Dr. David R. Hardoon, Chief Technology and Operations Officer Dennis Omila, Chief Customer Experience Officer and Chief Digital Channels Officer Ana Aboitiz Delgado, President & CEO Edwin R. Bautista, and Independent Directors Josiah Go, Roberto Manabat, Manuel Escueta.

Highlights of the two-day summit also included fruitful and thought-provoking keynote speeches and panel discussions on using technology to move towards a sustainable future.

The AI Summit PH 2023 was opened with a captivating keynote speech titled “Reimagining a Sustainable and Equitable Philippines with AI” delivered by Third District of Negros Occidental Representative and Housing and Urban Development Chairperson Jose Francisco Benitez. In his address, Rep. Benitez highlighted the pivotal role of technological innovation in promoting national development, as heralded by the Philippine constitution. He emphasized the need for collective action in equipping the people with the necessary skills and fostering innovation to adapt, compete, and flourish in a brave new world. “A digital future is our national destiny. Let us work together to harness its benefits for all,” Rep. Benitez firmly emphasized.

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)Secretary Atty. Ivan John Uy (third from left) with Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) Executive Team (from L to R) Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Smart Cities Alvin Ng, Chief Marketing Officer Felicia Li-Gaillard, Chief Executive Officer Dr. David R. Hardoon, COO for Financial Services Guy Sheppard, and COO for Power Luis F. Gonzalez.

On the second day of the summit, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy presented an overview of the DSAI landscape in the Philippines and future prospects of these technologies within the country. Secretary Uy said, “Digital transformation is about constantly adapting and optimizing new solutions to the ever-changing needs of society, and it starts with deeper and more meaningful partnerships between the government and the private sector. And we all share a common goal of transforming the country and accelerating its progress through the use of all these emerging technologies.”

Members of the private, public, and academic sectors discussed the role of power in fueling urban development and economic growth. Panelists and attendees were also able to discover the trends, challenges, and opportunities in data-driven, people-centered smart cities. It covered the potential benefits of smart city development, including public services, increased economic growth, and enhanced sustainability. The shared role of the government, private sector, and other stakeholders was also emphasized in this discussion on creating smart cities, and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with the use of technology and AI. 

Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) Chief Executive Officer Dr. David R. Hardoon delivers a keynote on transforming industries with AI.

One of the summit’s C-Suite Roundtables covered data-driven strategies to drive innovation and achieve transformation within organizations and companies—an important discussion from which various enterprise stakeholders were able to benefit, especially as they too have to become future-forward to adapt to the rapid technological advances.

Aside from rich discussions, the AI Summit also showcased real-world applications of AI across industries such as financial services, power, and smart cities, which attendees were able to learn, explore, try, and interact with.

It’s a wrap! The organizing and functional teams from Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI), Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), and Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

ADVT.