By Komfie Manalo
With the unprecedented advancement in emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of AI literacy and directed the Department of Trade and Industry to leverage disruptive technology to harness and upscale the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
LEVELING UP Entrepreneurs in Iloilo City display their goods in this undated photo. The President said the DTI should harness and upscale the MSME by introducing them to AI-powered systems to comply with the changing technological demands. PNA
“We are not teaching them to be engineers, AI engineers. We’re not teaching them to be blockchain engineers. We’re teaching them how to use the system that we have provided. That, I think, we have to be clear about that,” Marcos said.
According to Marcos, understanding AI is paramount for quicker and smoother adoption of this emerging technology for MSMEs, with the government providing the necessary ingredients for their sustainable growth.
The president said the DTI should harness and upscale the MSME by introducing them to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems to comply with the changing technological demands.
In a sectoral meeting on Tuesday at the Malacañan Palace, President Marcos said the MSMEs must be fully equipped with modern technology to keep up with physical and online demands amid technological advancements.
“Don’t teach the theory behind it; just teach what they need to use AI. That’s the whole point of AI; you just talk. That’s where we want to get them to,” he added.
The President also said the government’s efforts to introduce MSMEs to AI systems aims to ensure the ease of doing business and to make it “as easy as possible, as simple as possible” for them.
In 2022, MSMEs comprised 99.59 percent of total establishments in the Philippines. They contributed 65.10 percent to total employment, highlighting their massive impact on jobs and livelihood in the country.
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