The Ilocos Times

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 cri...

I remember when the internet was simpler. Back then, if you wanted to file a complaint, you could say confidently: the server’s location was the crime scene. There was clarity. There was accountability. If a website published defamatory content, you knew where to start: trace the server, identify the network, and hold someone responsible. But those days are gone. Today, websites deploy multiple servers across different countries. Content is mirrored, cached, shared on social media, reposted under new names. The physical “scene of the crime” has dissolved into bits and bytes scattered across clouds. So where do we draw the line when it comes to cyberlibel? If a post stabs someone’s reputation, if it spreads misinformation, if it damages a person’s name—the “platform” isn’t the perpetrator. The crime is not committed by a set of servers or by a tech company. The real suspect is the content creator —the individual behind the keyboard.   Cyberlibel : law meets the digital wi...

Ayatko founder Aurelio Almazan Jr. presents the new global digital platform through Zoom during its formal launch on August 22 at the Twins Function Hall in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. (Doms Dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz,  Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—An Ilocano entrepreneur from Barangay Bengcag has developed a global digital platform designed to strengthen family, community and cultural connections among Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad. Aurelio Almazan Jr., founder of the “Ayatko” mobile application, is currently based in Texas, United States, where he developed the Filipino community and family social networking platform to connect Filipinos across barangays, municipalities, provinces and international borders. Unlike conventional social media platforms, Ayatko was designed without algorithm-driven feeds, advertisements or the selling of user data, promoting what Almazan described as a more authentic, community-centered and privacy-conscious digital environmen...

Every so often a technology arrives that carries the potential to reshape entire systems—not just improve them. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is doing just that for renewable energy . From forecasting weather to optimizing solar and wind farms, AI is helping flood our grids with clean power while making them smarter, more reliable, and more resilient. But the bigger question for us here in the Philippines is: Are we ready to ride this wave—or will we lag behind once again?   What AI can do for renewables AI and machine learning (ML) address some of renewable energy’s biggest headaches: intermittency , unpredictability, maintenance challenges, and grid instability . Experts say that AI-powered systems excel at forecasting, optimization, and adaptive control. Here are the key levers: Wind & Solar Forecasting: AI models analyze weather patterns, historical generation data, and real-time conditions to predict output. This allows grid operators to anticipate supply and ma...

  Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of newsroom operations in the Philippines, helping journalists work more efficiently and produce content more quickly. However, a new study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) warns that the technology also poses significant challenges to the long-term sustainability of news organizations, while raising concerns about information integrity and intellectual property rights. Titled “AI Use in Philippine News Media: Adoption, Impacts, and Challenges,” the study examined how Philippine news organizations are adopting AI and assessed its implications for journalism, media sustainability, and governance. Researchers found that AI is increasingly being used for tasks such as transcription, editing, fact-checking, content research, and audience analytics. These applications help newsrooms streamline routine tasks, boost productivity, and meet growing demand for digital and multimedia content. Despite ...

The Philippines is projected to become an aging society by 2030, but inadequate support systems, such as weak healthcare, limited pensions, and low digital literacy, risk leaving millions of older Filipinos vulnerable. Aging experts at the 11th Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC), organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) as part of the 23rd Development Policy Research Month (DPRM), urged the government to act now: strengthen institutions, embrace technology responsibly, and ensure no elderly Filipino is left behind. “The Philippines is aging before it becomes economically affluent,” warned Dr. Grace Cruz of the UP Population Institute. Findings from the “Longitudinal Study of Aging and Health in the Philippines (LSAHP)” reveal that older Filipinos have fragile and informal sources of support: six in ten rely on their children, 54% on pensions, only one in four earn from work due to low employment rates, and 18% receive remittances from abroad. ...