Bohol info officers gain 

better understanding about Al

By Elvira Bongosia

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — To equip them with the skills necessary to navigate today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the public information officers (PIOs) in the province were oriented on artificial intelligence (AI) during their December assembly.

The Association of United Development Information Officer (AUDIO) in Bohol partnered with PLDT and SMART Communications Inc. for the conduct of “Al 101 for Bohol Public Information Officers: Introducing Al tools to Enhance Public Communications” on Dec. 6 in Panglao Island.

Visayas regional bead of PLDT SMART Stakeholder Management Team, Marylou Gocotano, shared that this partnership with AUDIO-Bohol highlights the company’s commitment to innovation, digital inclusion, and the government’s key digitalization efforts.

Understanding Al and its Benefits

The PIOs gained better understanding about Al from Cebu-based journalist, blogger, and web developer Max Limpag.

Limpag encouraged the PIOs to embrace new technology like Al, to understand how they work and how they can help in their field of work.

“PIOs play a vital role especially in ensuring public safety during crises and disasters. They are responsible for managing and disseminating crucial information to the public, media, and other stakeholders,” he said.

“By providing timely and accurate updates, PIOs help people make informed decisions and take necessary actions to protect themselves and their communities,” Limpag said.

AI refers to computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as analyzing data, making predictions, and understanding natural language.

“In emergency management, AI can be utilized to enhance the capabilities of PIOs and improve their effectiveness in crisis communication,” according to Limpag.

By harnessing AI technologies, PIOs can gather and analyze information more efficiently, automate communication processes, gain better situational awareness, and make informed decisions.

Applications of Al for PIOs

“Technology like Al is a superpower,” Limpag said, as he encouraged the PIOs to not let their lack of imagination limit future possibilities.

Limpag said that Al technology offers valuable applications for PIOs and one of these applications is real-time information gathering and analysis.

PIOs can utilize AI algorithms to monitor social media platforms and perform sentiment analysis.

This enables them to stay updated on public discussions, identify emerging trends, and gauge public sentiment during crises or disasters.

Additionally, Turno scribe.Al, cloud computing, machine learning, and among others were also discussed which can help the PIOs gather comprehensive and up-to-date information, allowing for more accurate and timely dissemination of important updates to the public.

But just like any other tools, Limpag cautioned that AI tools are tools and they are not substitutes for intellectual growth, and as such, should be used responsibly. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)

PIA Bohol with AUDIO-Bohol collaborated with PLDT & Smart Communications Inc. and The Bellevue Resort to equip the public information officers of national government agencies and local government units with essential AI knowledge on Dec. 6, 2024 in Panglao island. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)