BY RHENA JEAN H. BATOBALANI AND DEANNE MAE C. URBIZTONDO/CMU Interns
A LAWMAKER proposed an ordinance that will introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, as well as smart tools to enhance the delivery of government services.
During the Pulong Pulong sa Dabawenyos on Tuesday, June 16, Councilor Bonz Andre A. Militar, chairperson of the committee on information technology, said the city plans to deploy AI-powered robots as early as next year following a feasibility study.
Militar said the program funding will be incorporated into the local government’s budget, although they don’t have any estimated cost for now.
However, the initial plan is to provide three robots for Sangguniang Panlungsod and parks, although this may still change depending on the results of the committee hearing on the matter.
Militar clarified that the AI robots will not replace government employees, and will even ease their administrative tasks. For example, some basic functions include processing customer queries or documents.
“It’s just a support for our employees to make their work faster. So, we will not replace them. It is just a tool we will install in our system, in our government agencies, so checking, approval, and composing of documents will be faster,” Militar said.
Militar stressed the proposed ordinance is still at the committee level and will undergo several hearings before it is presented to the plenary.
