Exec cites need to prepare next generation for AI

THE Philippines needs to prepare the next generation for artificial intelligence (AI) to be able to maximize its benefits for the business sector.

Arvin Yason, managing director for Accenture Global Delivery Network for Technology in the Philippines, made this statement during a roundtable discussion on AI technologies and its impact on the economy. AI refers to information systems and applications that can sense, comprehend, act and learn.

Accenture has cited the need to prepare the next generation to be able to integrate human intelligence with machine intelligence to co-exist in a two-way learning relationship.

In fact, the company has met with the Cebu academe to encourage design thinking among the students. While technical requirements remain important, Yason said, in AI the focus will be on design thinking and deep learning.

Yason said the holding by Compass Education of the Annual Robotics STEAM Cup is a step in the right direction as it would promote interest in robotics and AI among the youth.

The competition provides the opportunity to students to showcase their know-how and skill in robotics. For the 3rd Compass Education Robotics STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Cup, Accenture has supported the participation of seven teams from Cebu. The competition gives the youth the opportunity to enhance their curiosity and ingenuity in using technologies to develop creative solutions for real-life needs.

Accenture aims to encourage students to have interest, curiosity and creativity in innovative technologies like Robotics and AI, among others.

The company has been collaborating with various organizations including the Department of Science and Technology and Compass Education to advocate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

With these partnerships, Accenture hopes to inspire innovation and creativity among the younger generation.

Around 40 teams competed in the 3rd Annual Robotics STEAM Cup, said Anna Mariolla Martinez-Quijano, founder and managing director of Compass Education. The teams competed in six categories: Loving Our Planet, Traffic Solutions, Everyday Solutions, Growing City Solutions, Space Challenge and Sumobot Challenge. The ages of the participants range from six to 24.

Martinez-Quijano explains that the Robotics Cup helps sustain the spark of imagination, creativity and collaboration among the younger generation.
Meanwhile, Yason noted that the use of AI technology will benefit many businesses.

For example, companies could use AI technology to shorten time to produce oil and gas. Another AI application can help reduce the time for DNA sequencing.

He added that the use of AI will help increase labor productivity, dramatically reduce work time and improve profitability.

The results of a research conducted by Accenture showed that AI could boost labor productivity by up to 40 percent. This growth could be achieved “by fundamentally changing the way work is done and reinforcing the role of people to drive growth in business.”

Also, the research reveals that by changing the nature of work and establishing a new relationship between man and machine, AI could double annual economic growth rates by 2035. Last year, the Accenture Institute for High Performance, together with the Frontier Economics, came up with a model on the impact of AI for 12 developed economies which collectively generate over 50 percent of the world’s economic output.