"We just can’t simply adopt a technology because it’s sexy or trendy. It’s a leadership question. At the end of the day, it's like a pilot--the pilot is the one who manages the take-off, as well as the landing," said Pangilinan, speaking to MVP Group directors, officers, and executives from the PLDT Group, MERALCO, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Philex Mining Corporation, PXP Energy Corp., Roxas Holdings, Inc., Maynilad, Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Metro Pacific Health, Metro Pacific Tollways, NLEX Corporation, Mediaquest Holdings, Makati Medical Center, Maya, Davao Doctors Hospital, Voyager Innovations, Kayana, mWell, and Cignal, who joined the half-day hybrid session.
Setting the tone for the session, PLDT Director and Chief Operating Officer Menardo G. Jimenez, Jr. stressed in his opening remarks that, in his view, AI is different from previous tech trends. "When AI came into the picture, the first thing that came into my mind was, Is this another tech fad? The answer is no. Absolutely not. AI is the real deal, not just because of how it can be applied in the corporate world, but because of how it can influence an individual's life,” he said, adding that as the Philippines gears up to host next year's ASEAN Summit, among the critical topics will be how AI can support the growth of countries in the region.
'AI is a leadership game'
In her talk "Winning with AI: Embracing Change and Optimizing Decisions at Scale", Kozyrkov underscored the importance of leadership in successfully implementing AI. "Now is not the time for absentee leadership. AI is a tool for decision-making, and how we make decisions around this technology is what matters most of all," she said. "AI is a leadership game. If you don’t have skilled leadership involved, bad things happen. When you have skilled leadership, that is when you flourish."
She also urged leaders to upskill their workforce, especially with the rise of generative AI. "We have to teach people one of the hardest skills: The skill of seeking advice. Today, personalized advice is abundant. That's what generative AI gets you. As a result of all this, judgment will be priceless. Knowing whether you should take the advice, knowing what you should ask about---that is very important," said Kozyrkov.
"Generative AI requires an organization that is filled with people with good judgment, because folks with good judgment are going to get great results out of it. And folks with poor judgment could be an organizational liability," she added.
Kozyrkov also warned against 'work slop', which is AI-generated workplace content that looks polished but is actually wrong outputs. "You must train your organizations, and you must tell them that just because something looks polished, doesn't mean it's right, and that it has to be the responsibility of whoever makes it to check it to be thoughtful," she said. "The new skills are knowing what to ask about, knowing how to describe what you're looking for, and knowing how to check whether what you needed is what you got."
'SuperCreativity'
Meanwhile, in his talk "SuperCreativity: Leading in the age of AI", Taylor introduced the concept of 'SuperCreativity', which augments human creativity with AI capabilities. "Creativity is the engine of innovation. In the age of AI, your ability to augment human creativity with exponential technologies like AI will define success."
Taylor emphasized the importance of AI governance in ensuring that AI systems deliver value while being transparent, fair, accountable, and aligned with human values. "For all these rapid developments that are happening in artificial intelligence Today, we need to ensure that we have not just the right products and services, but also the kind of AI right governance to help propel us into this new age in a safe and transparent way," he said.
Culture, according to Taylor, is also crucial to the successful implementation of any AI strategy. "You may have a great AI strategy, but if you don't have a culture that supports that, you're going to waste time and money," he said, adding that to build this culture, four skills would be the most valuable in the AI era: Collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.
Taylor also warned about what he calls the "competency penalty", which has hindered many workers from using AI for fear that it will make them seem less competent. "To fix this, companies must spotlight role models--how are respected leaders in your organization using artificial intelligence? Focus on outcomes, not pure metrics."
Panel: How AI is reshaping industries
A dynamic panel moderated by Roby Alampay, PLDT Public Engagement Group and Corporate Communications Head, featured Kozyrkov, Taylor, and industry leaders Blums S. Pineda, PLDT SVP and Head of Enterprise Business Group; Rocky D. Bacani, Meralco Information, Communications, Technology and Transformation Head, and Kayana Chief Technology Officer; and Angelo S. Madrid, Maya Bank Director and President. They tackled how AI is reshaping industries like telco, power, and fintech, as well as discussed the need to anchor AI initiatives on clear business problems and challenges, but to also raise the bar for growth and other transformative outcomes.
Pineda, who has been recently appointed as PLDT Group AI Business Lead, said his mandate is not just to build the foundation but to potentially transform the way we operate, as well as to find new areas of growth for the group. "In the end, it's going to be about transformation and the leadership that it takes to aim for that. And what we have seen from AI is that it can really impact and accelerate that transformation when leveraged expansively. There is a lot of work to do."
Bacani highlighted that AI can only deliver real value when the foundations are in place, summarized as AID: Application, Infrastructure, and Data. Without clear use cases, the right systems, and reliably governed data, AI remains experimentation rather than transformation.
Madrid emphasized AI's essential role in scaling trust and protecting customers in a fully digital environment, especially in the fintech space.
The Annual Corporate Governance Enhancement Session is a flagship program of the MVP Group that brings together directors and officers to strengthen governance practices and explore emerging trends shaping business leadership. Now in its 19th year, ACGES continues to serve as a platform for learning and collaboration among the Group’s companies.
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