UNDP cites role of AI in driving inclusive, sustainable development

(Image Courtesy: Pexels.com | Tara Winstead)

​The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, in partnership with the Philippine Human Development Network (HDN), has launched a report highlighting the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving an inclusive and sustainable human development.

In an event hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 9, the UNDP Philippines formally launched the 2025 Global Human Development Report titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age AI.”

The report emphasized the need for deliberate choices to ensure that AI is used to empower people, reduce inequalities and support the attainment of development goals.

“At its core, the HDR is a call to action for governments, businesses, communities, and individuals to make deliberate choices about how AI is designed, used, and governed. If we make the right choices today, AI could become a force and an engine for freedom, opportunity, and progress, not just for a few, but for everyone,” Selva Ramachandran, UNDP Philippines Resident Representative, said during the program.

Meanwhile, SEC Commissioner Javey Paul D. Francisco cited the contributions of digitalization in streamlining the Commission’s processes and promoting transparency and accountability in its services.

In recognition of the opportunities presented by the wide adoption of AI, the Commission has launched in June the SEC AInnovation, an AI-enabled platform that answers the public queries relating to SEC-related laws and policies in real-time, bringing its services closer to its stakeholders.

“As we look toward the future, we also see AI playing a growing role in our work—improving our ability to detect fraud, assess risk, and promote financial inclusion. AI can help us direct capital toward sustainable enterprises, enhance market integrity, and protect investors more effectively than ever before,” Mr. Francisco said in his welcome remarks.

“But innovation must go hand-in-hand with responsibility. As we hope to integrate AI into financial markets, the SEC remains committed to promoting ethical investments and strengthening disclosure standards—especially on issues of governance, equity, and human rights,” he added.

The program included a panel discussion led by Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr., Contact Center Association of the Philippines President Haidee Enriquez, Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines President Michelle Alarcon, Central Visayan Institute Foundation Dynamic Learning Program President Christopher Bernido, and Converge ICT Solutions Chief Commercial Advisor Sherie Ng.

The panel discussed how AI can contribute to human empowerment in the Philippines, citing the technology’s potential to improve productivity, enhance public service delivery, and create new economic opportunities, while addressing risks including job displacement, digital exclusion, and unequal access to emerging technologies.

A third of Filipino workers are highly exposed to AI and 61% of such roles could benefit from AI-enhanced productivity, especially among young, urban and college-educated workers, according to a recent study by the International Monetary Fund cited during the forum.

Reynaldo Cancio, assistant secretary of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, and Philip Arnold Tuaño, executive committee member of the Philippine HDN, also delivered their welcome remarks.