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The Philippine government will need to swiftly address the rising threat of artificial intelligence (AI), especially on key sectors such as outsourcing, which is one of pillars of the economy. This warning was raised by Dr. Sanjay Sarma, the Dean of the Asia School of Business (ASB) and a professor of mechanical engineering and the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, during a recent visit to the Philippines.

“In the Philippines, it has to be a national effort [so] the government needs to be really cognizant,” said Sarma, who likened climate change to the threat AI poses to the unprepared. “It’s like climate change is going to damage the environment. [AI] is going to hurt a lot of people. This is technology change,” he said.

Sarma, who was in the country to also promote the ASB in Kuala Lumpur, said businesses need to level up their skills and technology to combat the threat. This also applies to the Philippine government, which can push new skills training so parts of the workforce can remain relevant. “The Philippines should become the country that leads the world in how to use AI. It will put some people out of work, but at least you define the rules of how it works,” he said.

Up for modernization

As part of the ongoing urban renewal of Makati City—which is to say the improvement of old structures with more modern, more efficient and more environmentally friendly ones—another iconic building will be modernized soon. Biz Buzz hears that the China Banking Corp. building along Paseo de Roxas will soon be augmented by a newer edifice that will rise right beside it, on a property that currently hosts a multilevel parking building (which has also become insufficient for the needs of the growing financial institution).

There’s no word yet on whether China Bank’s headquarters, which is also showing its age, will be torn down soon, but that is a reasonable assumption to make given the aggressive redevelopment being made by the Sy family (which also controls China Bank, in addition to BDO Unibank) of the entire.
– Daxim L. Lucas

BCDA chief gets public service citation

Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president and CEO Joshua Bingcang last Monday received a citation for his dedication and leadership in public service from his hometown, a recognition that came after being with the government agency for close to three decades. The BCDA chief received the commendation from the local government unit of Mexico, Pampanga, which expressed their “pride and honor” for his recent appointment to the top management position of the investment promotion agency.

“Engineer Bingcang has performed vital tasks that prove his commitment and love for Pampanga and the Metro Clark areas through his roles in the planning and implementation of key projects,” read a part of the Municipal Resolution No. 138-2023 issued by the Sangguniang Bayan of Mexico. Climbing the career ladder in the public sector, Bingcang started working at the BCDA as a rank III project development officer in 1996.

He then held different positions on development and project management through the years until his promotion as senior vice president for the Conversion and Development Group in 2019. In March 2023, he was appointed as president and CEO of Clark International Airport Corporation, a BCDA subsidiary, before taking the oath of office as the parent government agency head last June 6.
– Alden M. Monzon

Originally published by Philippine Daily Inquirer.

PHILIPPINE companies should take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit industries such as retail and outsourcing, according to an industry expert. “In the Philippines, AI is going to replace jobs. So, let’s accept that. The Philippines should become the country that leads the world in how to use AI, in call centers, recognizing that it will put some people out of work, but at least you define the rules of how it works with people,” Asia School of Business (ASB) President, Chief Executive Officer, and Dean Sanjay Sarma said during a media roundtable in Makati City last week.

“It has to be a national effort. The government needs to be really cognizant that this is an epic moment. It’s like, climate change is going to damage the environment, it’ll hurt a lot of people. This is ‘technology change,’ just like climate change,” he added. According to Mr. Sarma, industries that could benefit from AI in generating profit include those in the service sectors such as banking, retail, and customer service. “We spend a lot of time talking, trying to figure things out. AI can automate that,” he said.

Mr. Sarma added that companies only have one to two years to upskill their workers before AI replaces other jobs. “It’s not very long. It’s one or two years. The reason is that for these transforming technologies, there are now lots of companies working. And there’s hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on it,” Mr. Sarma said. Meanwhile, Mr. Sarma said workers should focus on upskilling to perform jobs that technology cannot accomplish such as planning and dispute resolution.

“You have to really figure out what the technology can do and what humans can do, and what technology can’t do. And to develop human capital in those directions,” Mr. Sarma said. “It takes a very careful analysis of the local labor economy. Combined with a very careful analysis of the needs of companies and education or development, put policy incentives, institutions, to let people move from where they are to where they need to be,” he added.

Recently, the International Data Corp. said the Philippines ranked 12th out of 14 economies across the Asia-Pacific region in terms of AI adoption for business and consumer transactions. The Philippines trailed other countries such as China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, India, Taiwan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand. Previously, the Trade department projected that AI could contribute as much as $90 billion to the country’s economy by 2030.

ASB, established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, seeks to be a premier business school that is committed to “developing transformative and principled leaders who will create a positive impact in the emerging world and beyond.” — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Originally published by Business World.

The rapid progression in the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) can no longer be denied or ignored and Philippine corporations may have to adjust or be left behind. Sanjay Sarma president, CEO and dean of the Asia School of Business, said AI is going to replace jobs. However, he said the Philippines should emerge the country that leads the world on how to use AI, at least in call centers.

“It will put some people out of work, but at least you define the rules of how it works,” Sarma said. “In the Philippines, it has to be a national effort. The government needs to be really, really, really cognizant, that this is an epic moment. It’s like, you know, climate change is going to damage the environment, it’ll hurt a lot of people, this is going to hurt a lot of people. This is technology change, just like climate change.”

Sarma, also a professor of mechanical engineering and the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said AI is developing at an unprecedented pace and will be everywhere soon. “I’m telling you. It’s not 10 years; its one or two years. The reason is that for these transforming technologies, there are now lots of companies working. And there’s millions, hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on it,” he said.

While older and successfully adopted technologies such as automated teller machines took about 15 years to be widely accepted, people no longer have the luxury of time with AI. In the case of ATMs, Sarma said the immediate concern was that bank tellers would lose their jobs. “But that did not happen. In fact, bank tellers did something more advanced, which is selling mortgages and things like that.

The job changed. So they had to become cognitive. They did the more cognitively advanced tasks and ATMs did the cash. But it took 10 years or 15 years. The problem here is moving very fast.” “I mean, chat GPT only appeared in December or November 2022. We are now in September 2023. It now has more than 100 million users,” he said.

To adapt to changes that will be brought by the use of AI, Sarma said local industries like the business process outsourcing sector will need to upgrade more into the technology space. “You can’t be at this level, you have to go up, because the attack comes from below. It’s like a tiger, you know, it’s chasing you, you climb a tree, the tiger learns to climb the first 10 feet, well, you have to climb higher. So you have to go higher up in the cognitive stock to go higher,” he said.

Sarma is a leading authority in AI, Internet of things and education. The ASB, established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management, aims to be a premier business school that develops transformative and principled leaders who will contribute to the advancement of the emerging world, particularly in Asia. He teaches there alongside Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona.

Originally published by Business Mirror.

Dr. Sanjay Sarma is CEO, President, and Dean of the Asia School of Business (ASB) and a professor of mechanical engineering, Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This is the assessment of Dr. Sanjay Sarma who is CEO, President, and Dean of the Asia School of Business (ASB) and a professor of mechanical engineering in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a leading authority in AI, Internet of Things, and Education.

ASB, established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management, aims to be a premier business school that develops transformative and principled leaders who will contribute to the advancement of the emerging world, particularly in Asia.

The rapid progression in the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) can no longer be denied or ignored, and Philippine corporations will have to grab this by the horns and turn it into an opportunity or be left behind.

Dr. Sanjay Sarma is CEO, President, and Dean of the Asia School of Business (ASB) and a professor of mechanical engineering, Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This is the assessment of Dr. Sanjay Sarma who is CEO, President, and Dean of the Asia School of Business (ASB) and a professor of mechanical engineering in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a leading authority in AI, Internet of Things, and Education.

ASB, established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management, aims to be a premier business school that develops transformative and principled leaders who will contribute to the advancement of the emerging world, particularly in Asia.

“In the Philippines, AI is going to replace jobs. So, let’s accept that. And the Philippines should become the country that leads the world in how to use AI, in call centers. It will put some people out of work, but at least you define the rules of how it works,” said Sarma.

He noted that, “in the Philippines, it has to be a national effort. The government needs to be really, really, really cognizant, that this is an epic moment. It’s like, you know, climate change is going to damage the environment, it’ll hurt a lot of people, this is going to hurt a lot of people. This is technology change, just like climate change.”

Sarma pointed out that AI is developing at an unprecedented pace and will be everywhere soon. “I’m telling you. It’s not 10 years. It’s one or two years. The reason is that for these transforming technologies, there are now lots of companies working.

And there’s millions, hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on it,” he explained. While older and successfully adopted technologies such as automated teller machines took about 15 years to be widely accepted, people no longer have the luxury of time with AI.

In the case of ATMs, Sarma said the immediate concern was that bank tellers would lose their jobs but “that did not happen. In fact, bank tellers did something more advanced, which is selling mortgages and things like that. The job changed.

So, they had to become cognitive. They did the more cognitively advanced tasks and ATMs did the cash. But it took 10 years. 15 years. The problem here is moving very fast.” “I mean, chat GPT only appeared in December or November 2022.

We are now in September 2023. It now has more than 100 million users,” he pointed out. To adapt to changes that will be brought by the use of AI, Sarma said local industries like the business process outsourcing sector will need to upgrade more into the technology space.

“You can’t be at this level, you have to go up, because the attack comes from below. It’s like a tiger, you know, it’s chasing you, you climb a tree, the tiger learns to climb the first 10 feet, well, you have to climb higher. So, you have to go higher up in the cognitive stock to go higher,” he said.

Sarma said local service industry workers will have to do the things that technology cannot. “See what can you do that GPT cannot do. GPT cannot negotiate with you. GPD can’t do any planning. GPT can’t really do dispute resolution. GPT can’t calm an angry customer.

So you have to really figure out what the technology can do and what humans can do, that the technology can’t. And you’re to develop human capital in those directions,” he added. “It takes a very careful analysis of the local labor economy.

The labor market, what are people doing? Combined with a very careful analysis of the needs of companies and an education or development, but policy incentives, institutions, to let people move from where they are to where they need to be,” he also said.

Originally published by Manila Bulletin.

The government and private sector need to collaboratively launch a nationwide effort to push for the adoption of science-backed artificial intelligence or AI to help communities and businesses keep up with the rapid technological advancement. In an interview with reporters last Friday, Dr. Sanjay Sarma, CEO, president, and dean of the Asia School of Business or ASB, reiterated that AI is developing at an unprecedented pace and will be everywhere soon.

“AI can potentially replace jobs so let’s accept that. The Philippines should become the country that leads the world in how to use AI, in call centers, for instance,” Sarma told reporters. “Here in the Philippines, it has to be a national effort. The government needs to be cognizant that this is an epic moment. It’s like, you know, climate change is going to damage the environment, it will hurt a lot of people. This is technology change is just like climate change,” he said.

Unlike other technologies such as automated teller machines or ATMs, which took about 15 years to be widely accepted, AI is a development that needs urgent adoption. Like ATMs, which previously raised concerns about replacing the job of bank tellers, AI will help industries develop further. “Bank tellers did not lose their jobs. Bank tellers did something more advanced, which is selling mortgages and things like that.  The job changed because of technology,” he explained.

Thus, in blending in with the changes brought about by AI, Sarma proposed that local industries like the business process outsourcing sector should upgrade more into becoming a technology space. “At this level, you have to go up because the attack comes from below. It’s like a tiger, you know, it’s chasing you, You climb a tree, and the tiger learns to climb the first 10 feet, well, you have to climb higher. So you have to go higher up in the cognitive stock to go higher,” he said.

To complement the benefits of AI, Sarma noted that the local service industry workers, for instance, have to do the things that technology cannot. “For example, this Chat GPT cannot negotiate with you, can’t do any planning, can’t do dispute resolution. It can’t calm an angry customer. So you have to figure out what the technology can do and what humans can do, that the technology can’t. And you’re to develop human capital in those directions.”

Sarma is a professor of mechanical engineering and the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a leading authority in AI, the Internet of Things, and Education. ASB, established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management, aims to be a premier business school that develops transformative and principled leaders who will contribute to the advancement of the emerging world, particularly in Asia.

Last July, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers asked the Congress and Palace to consider creating an agency that will oversee responsible AI use in the country. Barbers cited that at least 520,000 employees across different industries may be affected by the integration of AI.

In March, he filed a bill eyeing to create the Artificial Intelligence Development Authority, which will serve as an AI monitoring body tasked to supervise the “development and deployment of AI technologies.” Primarily, it will ensure compliance with AI ethics principles and guidelines and protect the “rights and welfare of individuals and communities affected by AI technologies.”

Originally published by Daily Tribune.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) — The public and private sectors should further ramp up their artificial intelligence (AI) adoption as failure to do so may result in more job losses, an expert said. Sanjay Sarma, head of the Asia School of Business (ASB), said the government must be “cognizant” in dealing with advanced technologies as these can pose threats to the labor market.

“In the Philippines, AI is going to replace jobs. So, let’s accept that. And the Philippines should become the country that leads the world in how to use AI, in call centers. It will put some people out of work, but at least you define the rules of how it works,” he said over the weekend. “It’s like, you know, climate change is going to damage the environment, it’ll hurt a lot of people, this is going to hurt a lot of people. This is a technology change, just like climate change,” Sarma added.

Sarma said AI’s further developments may come in “one to two years” amid technology firms’ massive investment. “I mean, chat GPT only appeared in December or November 2022. We are now in September 2023. It now has more than 100 million users,” he said, referring to the AI-powered chatbot. “See what can you do that GPT cannot do. GPT cannot negotiate with you. GPT can’t do any planning. GPT can’t really do dispute resolution.

GPT can’t calm an angry customer. So you have to really figure out what the technology can do and what humans can do, that the technology can’t. And you’re to develop human capital in those directions,” he added. Sarma said efforts must be complemented with up-to-date education and policies.

In July, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers urged the government to establish an agency tasked to oversee the use of AI amid fears that it may displace at least 520,000 employees from call centers, online marketing, and search engine development, finance, health care organizations, transportation, and retail.

Originally published by CNN Philippines.

THE president of the Asia School of Business (ASB) said that the Philippines must learn more and adapt faster to artificial intelligence (AI) before it is too late. In a media roundtable at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati on Sept. 8, 2023, ASB president and Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Sarma said that AI is powerful and businesses and the academe must not take it for granted or treat it like a trend.

“For the first time, a very fundamental aspect of the uniqueness of human beings is being taken by machines. These are the implications and it’s only the beginning. Right now, we are at the stage of doing computer programming, and then eventually, we will have robots that will become more powerful and will have huge implications on jobs,” Sarma said. He added that AI will start affecting services jobs including those in call centers and business process management (BPM) companies.

This, as AI can perform some of the jobs in the BPM industry through programs like ChatGPT. “The Philippines has a lot of service sector jobs, yes, and offshore, especially call center jobs and outsourcing, a lot of that is going to be automated and the jobs will not vanish. But two things will happen. The jobs will change a lot, and the number of people doing them will go down a lot as well, so [there will be] huge implications on the job market for companies,” Sarma said.

He added that among the next jobs that will be affected by AI are in the restaurant and gas station industries. “Imagine for example if ATMs took off in one swoop. The tellers would not have had time to train to sell mortgages or other financial products. In fact, what happened with the average teller is that their education level went up, but you can’t do that overnight,” Sarma said. This means that technology can also help people do more with less.

Hence, Sarma said the country must become a leader in call center and outsourcing operations that also uses AI. However, he admitted that AI will also result in the loss of a number of jobs. “In the Philippines, AI is going to replace jobs and accept that. And the Philippines should become the country that leads the world in how to use AI in call centers. It will put some people out of work, but at least you define the rules of how it works,” Sarma said.

He added that workers, employees and students must be properly educated for AI as it is evolving at a very rapid pace, also pointing out that education on artificial intelligence and how to harness it is falling behind. “There are indeed risks and implications that come with using AI, so how do you mitigate them?

You have to take the bull by the horns and ride it, and not just wait for it to run you over and make your business go under,” he added. Sarma is also an authority in the Internet of Things, and education, as well as a professor of mechanical engineering at the Sloan School of Management, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Originally published by Manila Times.

It’s widely acknowledged that stress has a ripple effect and affects everyone around us. People may experience stress and traumatic experiences in many areas of their lives, including the workplace. Workplace trauma – yes, there is such a thing – is an emotional response after witnessing or experiencing a negative event at work. Also called career trauma or workplace post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is a mental health condition that can develop and affect people of all ages and occupations.

Read the full article HERE.
Originally published by The Star.

Philippine companies should be prepared to adopt artificial intelligence in their businesses as its development and application accelerated rapidly in the past few years, according to Asia School of Business chief executive and president Sanjay Sarma. Sarma said in an interview with reporters AI was developing at an unprecedented pace and would be everywhere soon. Companies that would not be able to take advantage of this technology would be left behind by competition, he said.

“I’m telling you. It’s not 10 years. It’s one or two years. The reason is that for these transforming technologies, there are now lots of companies working. And there’s millions, hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on it,” Sarma said. He said while older and successfully-adopted technologies such as automated teller machines took about 15 years to be widely accepted, people no longer have the luxury of time with AI.

Sarma confirmed that AI could eliminate jobs for many people. “In the Philippines, AI is going to replace jobs. So, let’s accept that. And the Philippines should become the country that leads the world in how to use AI in call centers. It will put some people out of work, but at least you define the rules of how it works,” said Sarma. Sarma said workers in local industries such as business process outsourcing, retail and food should upgrade their skills to do the things that technology could not.

“You can’t be at this level, you have to go up, because the attack comes from below. It’s like a tiger, you know, it’s chasing you, you climb a tree, the tiger learns to climb the first 10 feet, well, you have to climb higher,” he said. Sarma, who is also a professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’ Sloan School of Management is a leading authority in AI, Internet of Things and education.

ASB was established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management. It aims to be a premier business school that develops transformative and principled leaders who will contribute to the advancement of the emerging world, particularly in Asia.

Originally published by Manila Standard.

The government will allocate RM5 million for the Executive Digital Leadership (EDL) Programme conducted in strategic collaboration between the Ministry of Economy through its agency, MyDIGITAL Corporation, and the Asia School of Business/MIT Sloan Management. Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli said the three-month programme offered a learning experience conducted by the Asia School of Business and MIT Sloan Management and is an effort by the government to build a competitive digital economy.

Watch here.
Originally published by The Star.
Picture courtesy of The Star