INSTEAD of giving way to fears of an artificial intelligence (AI) takeover, Cebu’s young business leaders believe that such advancements in technology are beneficial for improving processes and not for destroying jobs.
Franco Soberano, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI), said that AI will never replace the human touch and social interactions, especially in industries like real estate.
“AI is here to improve what we do, but it cannot replace the personal interactions that we do,” he said during the Ng Khai Enterprise Summit on Friday, July 21, 2023, at the SM Seaside City Cebu.
Amid the accelerated digital transformation across all industries, Soberano urged the education sector to step up its efforts in producing individuals capable of handling complex and higher-value tasks.
“I think this is where people must step up; this is where our education should level up to make sure we are more valuable than what an AI can do,” he said.
Soberano attributed CLI’s success over the years to the company’s strong financial strength, prudent financial management, good collaboration and professional workforce.
“Part of our success, aside from having a good heart with people, is the financial discipline,” he said.
CLI, a publicly listed company headquartered in Cebu City, plans to launch P29.75 billion worth of new projects to sustain its successful growth trajectory in 2022 and beyond. The company recently announced its expansion in Luzon, while making significant investments in the Visayas and Mindanao.
New capabilities
Rissa Julene Go, chief financial officer of Prince Group, shares Soberano’s belief that AI brings new capabilities to business processes, aiding small and big businesses to succeed.
Go discussed ways and techniques to cope with changes in business using technologies and tools aided by AI. She emphasized the value of RT-PCR, which stands for Readiness, Trials, Presence, Critique, and Re-imagine.
“We need a mindset shift because technology is all about change. But the mindset is just one,” said Go on becoming ready to handle a business.
She stressed the importance of selecting the right tool or solution that can solve specific business problems, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Moreover, she pointed out the essence of being present, hands-on, and clear on goals to ensure efficacy and provide convenience and better service to customers.
Through the RT-PCR approach, Go managed to expand and handle the gradual changes of technology, applying it in their business rather than seeing it as a threat.
She shared how digital transformation contributed to the growth of their retail business, especially during and after the digital shift caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Go family business has 69 stores all over Visayas and Mindanao.
Speeding up the future
For Paul Soliman, chief executive officer and chief technology officer of Hacktiv Collab, AI has been speeding up the future.
“The future is faster than we think. We don’t need to wait for 2045 to see AI,” he said.
He believes that AI is not just artificial intelligence but augmented intelligence that assists humans rather than replacing them.
“AI for me is not artificial intelligence but augmented intelligence. If you use AI, it augments your intelligence,” he said.
He further said that AI has been disrupting various job roles, helping manufacturing workers, customer service representatives, marketing professionals and financial analysts.
On the other hand, data entry clerks, legal professionals, drivers and transportation workers are some jobs that are more likely to be disrupted by the emergence of AI.
He also urged people and business developers to adopt the power of AI to improve the enterprise sector.
“It’s a gold rush, but businesses and people who will not adopt will be replaced,” he said.
Ng Khai summit
Ng Khai Development Corp. held a two-day summit focused on education and enterprise on July 21 and 22 in celebration of its 30th year in the information technology business.
The enterprise summit centered on the dynamic world of AI and its far-reaching impact on businesses.
Ng Khai started in 1993 as an offshore development center for Asia and the United States. Today, Ng Khai is a leading partner for major international tech brands in southern Philippines and has won numerous awards.
Various partnerships of Ng Khai Corp., such as HPI, Sangfor, Dell, Holowits, Huawei, Lenovo, Versatech, Sophos, Asus, and Westcon Comstor, presented their latest technology innovations, which are beneficial in improving and updating businesses and industries.
Among the innovations mentioned is the Huawei Idea Hub, which comes as a whiteboard with modernized features - intelligent writing, high-definition video conferencing, and wireless sharing, enabling people to conduct their work and meetings more efficiently and organized.
Apart from this, other discussions during the summit included cybersecurity, software solutions, AI adaptations, AI utilization, among other factors that drive changes in the enterprise sector. (KOC WITH CNU INTERNS CAMILLE ERIKA BUTAS, GK MARIE DEJACTO)