President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Filipinos to adopt artificial intelligence ethically and responsibly, urging the public to leverage emerging technologies to expand personal opportunities while preserving human critical thinking and decision-making.
In a message delivered by Cabinet Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. during the launch of the eGov AI feature inside the eGovPH SuperApp, the President emphasized that the administration must ensure rapid technological shifts directly benefit the Filipino public.
Marcos noted that AI adoption should drive national development forward rather than merely streamlining daily tasks. He highlighted the need to broaden access across all sectors, referencing a 2024 study revealing that only 14.9 percent of domestic companies, predominantly large tech firms in urban centers, currently utilize AI tools, largely due to infrastructure barriers and connectivity challenges.
“We must also ensure that technology advances alongside the principles of accountability, security, and public service. That is why this administration is championing the ethical and responsible use of AI as a means to improve our services to Filipinos and create opportunities for them,” the President said.
Emphasizing that digital innovation must remain human-centric, Marcos stressed that technology should serve as an equalizer so no citizen is left behind as new opportunities emerge.
“To the Filipino people, use EGov AI wisely, responsibly and ethically. 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,” the President stated, reinforcing state efforts against fake news, misinformation, and disinformation.
“Together, let us shape a Bagong Pilipinas where progress is measured by the comfort that government services provide, the security issues, and the lives in the place,” Marcos added.
Developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the newly launched eGov AI introduces “Kuya AI,” a built-in virtual assistant designed to deliver real-time support for citizens navigating online public services.
The application upgrades also integrate electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) features with advanced liveness checks to enhance identity verification and combat fraud, alongside real-time translation tools to address language barriers. Free to all verified eGovPH users, the system supports document extraction, image recognition, form processing, speech generation, tourism assistance and instant access to government policies and statutory guidelines.