Sen Pia Cayetano introduces AI regulation bill

Senator Pia Cayetano has introduced a bill aimed at regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in the Philippines to ensure its safe and ethical use.

The bill seeks to balance technological innovation with safety, ethics, transparency, and meaningful human oversight of AI systems while integrating sustainability and futures thinking into national policy making.

Cayetano highlighted both the opportunities AI offers, such as improving public services and advancing disaster resilience, and the associated risks like algorithmic bias and potential existential threats from artificial superintelligence (ASI).

The proposed legislation would regulate various types of AI, including AGI, ASI, machine learning systems, generative AI, neural networks, expert systems, language learned models (LLMs), and Generative Pre-trained Transformers.

It also proposes establishing a National AI Commission under the Department of Science and Technology to oversee all matters related to AI in the Philippines.

The bill outlines penalties for developing unregistered AI systems, using AI to commit fraud or cause harm, and creating disinformation through AI, with fines ranging from P500,000 to P10,000,000 and imprisonment of up to 12 years depending on the severity.

Additionally, Cayetano's bill includes a penalty of up to P2 million for knowingly passing off AI-generated content as human-made for deceit or commercial gain.