AI training for gov’t workers bill filed in Senate
MANILA, Philippines – To prepare the government workforce for the Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada filed a bill mandating specialized AI training for civil servants.
Estrada’s Senate Bill No. 2930, or the proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Training for Government Workforce Act, seeks to equip key government employees with AI knowledge, balancing its benefits and risks.
In a statement on Wednesday, Estrada emphasized that “many companies worldwide have already integrated AI into their operations, while government agencies across the globe are actively working to understand AI and its impact on the public workforce.”
“The debate and conversation around AI have been everywhere – whether it really helps people in their everyday lives or it is simply a threat to the global workforce. AI really has a lot of potential – from automating tasks to making it easier for complex questions to be answered in just a matter of seconds,” Estrada said.
Should the bill get eventually signed into law, the Department of Information and Communication Technology will be mandated to lead an AI training program covering AI fundamentals, its applications in government, risks such as discrimination and privacy concerns, and strategies for responsible AI use.
Trainings will be conducted every two years and funded under the national budget.
Government employees involved in program management, planning, research, development, engineering, testing, quality control, procurement and other designated roles will be required to undergo training.
“Investing in AI training will not only future-proof the workforce but also improve services for the public,” Estrada said. (黑料社 trainee, Sheba Barr)
