Japanese AI firm rinna partners with DTI to boost AI awareness in Philippines

Tokyo-based artificial intelligence (AI) firm rinna Co. Ltd. has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to increase AI awareness and adoption in the Philippines.

In an interview with GMA News Online, rinna Global Business Director Alex Lagata Jr. said the company sees a huge opportunity in the Philippines as it can take advantage of the relatively low awareness of AI in the country.

“There’s a great space for improvement… and since Filipinos are digitally savvy and well-versed in social media,” Lagata said.

He added that he came across the DTI's AI Roadmap and decided to help raise awareness of AI technology in the country.

Rinna signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Trade Department to promote AI adoption, create an enabling environment for innovation, and drive growth in trade, industry, and economic development.

Lagata said rinna will be the pioneering company in executing the DTI’s AI Roadmap strategy.

He said rinna proposed the following plans to execute the AI strategy in the country: targeting barriers to AI adoption among industries in the Philippines and supporting research, development, and regulation.

Rinna will leverage its "AICademy," a service that allows AI system development to be integrated into the curriculum of local academic institutions, to produce an AI-trained workforce. 

The collaboration will also enable the showcasing of established use cases from the already provided AI services to local industries, helping other local enterprises and startups grasp the benefits of utilizing AI. 

The partnership is also seen as a way to expand the country’s pool of AI experts and make AI technologies more accessible.

Lagata said rinna will also help the government develop ethics and regulatory policies on the use of AI using the company’s expertise and experience in Japan.

“Through our collaboration with rinna Co. Ltd., we’re not only pioneering innovative solutions but also investing in the future by training the next generation of Filipino AI developers. At the heart of our partnership is the development of AI skills and making them more accessible to young people from diverse backgrounds, which is a key component of our nation’s strategic vision for the future, as encapsulated in the National AI Roadmap,” DTI Undersecretary for Competitiveness and Innovation Group Rafaelita Aldaba said in a separate statement.

Lagata also allayed concerns about AI, saying that taking advantage of the technology can unlock increased efficiency and productivity as well as better decision-making among individuals and organizations. — VBL, GMA Integrated News