Clark touted as site of possible AI hub with collaboration from India

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it wants to capture any overflow of artificial intelligence (AI) projects from India by establishing a dedicated AI lab in New Clark City.

“We want to explore how we can take advantage of the overflow of BPO (business process outsourcing) in India… We are putting a framework together on that (and it will involve establishing a hub) in New Clark City,” Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda told reporters on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders forum on Tuesday.

The DICT is working on possible partnerships with major Indian BPOs like Infosys and Wipro, which already have Philippine operations, Mr. Aguda said.

“Their DR (disaster recovery) sites are here already, as well as their overflow. These companies have AI initiatives, so maybe they can establish AI hubs in Clark,” he noted.

The target is to create about 50,000 “high value” jobs in the next five years, he said.

Further, Mr. Aguda said collaborations with India are also planned for cybersecurity training, semiconductor workforce development, and mutual recognition of digital certifications. — Ashley Erika O. Jose