President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing for wider access to artificial intelligence (AI) as the government launched a new AI-powered feature of the eGovPH Super App on Monday.
In a message delivered by Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos during the launch in Manila, Marcos said emerging technologies should be made more accessible and harnessed to improve public services.
Marcos cited a 2024 study showing that only 14.9% of Philippine firms use AI tools, with adoption largely concentrated among bigger and technology-related companies in urban areas. He also pointed to connectivity and other barriers that limit access to emerging technologies.
Developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), eGov AI features “Kuya A,” an AI assistant designed to provide real-time guidance to verified eGovPH users seeking government services.
The feature is available for free and offers document extraction, image identification, translation, form understanding and speech generation. It also provides access to tourism information and government laws, policies and guidelines.
eGov AI includes electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) and liveness checks for identity verification, while its translation feature aims to help reduce language barriers in digital government transactions.
Marcos, however, stressed that AI should be used responsibly and should support rather than replace human judgment.
“Always remember that technology should sharpen our judgment, not replace it. Let us use AI as a tool to make well-informed decisions without surrendering our own capacity to question, discern, and decide,” he said.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said eGov AI is intended to make government services more responsive, accessible and efficient.
The launch also included the awarding ceremony of the eGovPH Hackathon 2026, which recognized the Top 30 teams that developed digital solutions aimed at supporting government transformation.
Photo courtesy of PTV News
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