The Speaker of the Philippine Congress, Martin Romualdez, made a ground-breaking statement at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos that could influence how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regulates artificial intelligence (AI) in the future. Under Romualdez’s direction, the Philippines hopes to take the lead in creating a thorough regulatory framework for AI in the area.

An Active Strategy for AI Governance

The Philippines’ program is a proactive reaction to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence’s growing importance in the quickly developing digital economy. Romualdez aims to address the potential and problems brought about by the expanding developments and uses of generative AI by putting forth a legislative framework. This action indicates an understanding of the necessity to control and direct the revolutionary potential of AI technologies.

Developing a Southeast Asian Legal Structure

The main idea of Romualdez’s proposal is to establish a regulatory framework for Southeast Asia by utilizing the foundation that the Philippines set with its own draft AI laws. The purpose of this proposed framework is to give the governance of AI technology a structured approach while highlighting the significance of cybersecurity, data privacy, and ethical considerations.

The Philippines’ plan, which has been called a “gift” to ASEAN, aims to promote regional cooperation in cybersecurity and digitization within the framework of economic policies. The idea is in line with the overarching objective of fostering common standards and best practices and creating a coherent approach to AI governance throughout the ASEAN area.

Different Strategies: A Modification to ASEAN’s AI Governance Framework

The present ASEAN strategy, which favors a business-friendly, less compliance-heavy model, contrasts with the Philippines’ demand for a structured AI regulatory framework. This discrepancy draws attention to the region’s varied regulatory environment, which includes widely differing laws pertaining to internet use, censorship, intellectual property, and disinformation.

The importance of AI legislation in the Philippines is especially noteworthy in light of the difficulties the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry faces. Romualdez emphasizes this industry’s fragility and the necessity of transformation and upskilling in order to satisfy the expectations of an AI-enabled economy. In addition to addressing domestic issues, the proposed legal structure seeks to be flexible and advantageous for ASEAN as a whole.

The race to regulate generative AI is a global trend.

Romualdez’s announcement fits with a global trend in which authorities are scrambling to establish specific regulations to regulate the use of generative artificial intelligence. Many economies are now focusing heavily on the transformative potential of this emerging technology, which calls for a balanced strategy that promotes innovation while reducing possible hazards.

In summary, the Philippines’ proactive approach to AI regulation is a big step in determining how AI governance will develop in the ASEAN area going forward. The proposed framework lays the groundwork for cooperative efforts to carefully handle the difficulties of the digital era, even as the Philippines gets ready to chair the bloc in 2026.