Who among us needs protection from AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like electricity in the early 1900s—full of promise, but also full of dangers for those who do not know how to handle it. For me, the priority groups needing protection are clear: minors and older adults. In the Philippines, we define minors as anyone below 18, and “older adults” as our senior citizens, those aged 60 and above. These two groups are often the least equipped to recognize the risks created by rapidly advancing AI tools.

And make no mistake: AI is already being used for harm.

 

The rise of AI scams

Scammers today are no longer satisfied with text messages or suspicious emails. With AI, they can now produce videos that look and sound like your own family members, claiming they’re in danger, asking for money urgently, or begging for help.

This is the era of deepfakes—videos so convincing that even tech-savvy adults sometimes pause. How much more for a 12-year-old child or a 72-year-old lola?

Most minors don’t have the critical thinking skills yet to question these videos. Most seniors, on the other hand, grew up in a time when seeing is believing.

Today, seeing is no longer believing.

 

Where should protection come from?

I believe the government needs to take this threat as seriously as it takes natural disasters. Fraud, identity theft, and emotional manipulation are becoming digital hazards.

Here are the agencies that should lead the response:

DSWD and DICT—launch massive educational campaigns on AI scams, online safety, and responsible technology use.

NCSC—create targeted protection programs for senior citizens, including hotlines and “digital safety orientations” in barangay centers.

PCO, PIA, PNA—run sustained public information drives across radio, TV, print, and social media. (This cannot be a one-week campaign; it must be ongoing.)

Digital literacy is now a basic survival skill.

 

Are there NGOs working on this?

Around the world, nonprofits are forming to address AI harms, but here in the Philippines, efforts remain scattered. Groups like Digital Rights Asia-Pacific and Foundation for Media Alternatives discuss digital rights and data privacy—but I have yet to find an NGO focused specifically on AI harm prevention for minors and seniors.

If such an organization exists, please let me know. I would be happy to coordinate with them. If none exists, perhaps it is time to start one.

 

Beyond scams: Who else needs protection?

While minors and seniors are the most vulnerable, other groups are at risk too:

Workers who may lose jobs due to automation.

Marginalized communities who suffer when AI systems are biased or inaccessible.

Consumers manipulated by AI-driven advertising or opaque algorithms.

Citizens exposed to deepfakes, misinformation, and political manipulation.

AI has infiltrated commerce, employment, education, and politics—faster than our laws can keep up.

 

The bigger picture: Protecting our dignity

Protection from AI is ultimately a matter of human dignity.

AI should empower, not exploit.

AI should inform, not deceive.

AI should strengthen democracy, not undermine it.

If we fail to protect society’s most vulnerable, AI may become a tool that widens inequality instead of uplifting communities.

 

My question: Who will protect the barangays?

Barangays are the frontline of governance, yet they have zero preparation for AI harms. No training, no guidelines, no systems. If AI tools—both good and bad—are already reaching households, shouldn’t barangays have their own AI safety playbook?

Perhaps the time has come to create a Barangay AI Protection Framework—clear, simple, localized guidelines that protect residents while helping communities use AI safely and productively.