DeepSeek has been a popular topic in the AI chatbot space for reportedly being as good as ChatGPT and Gemini while using older hardware. Being an AI chatbot from China, some countries have concerns about the use of DeepSeek, and the Philippines is fine with its use as said by officials from DOST and DICT.
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DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development Executive Director Enrico Paringit said that there’s no immediate danger for the Philippines to regulate or ban the use of DeepSeek R1 by its organizations and individuals. Paringit pointed out that since DeepSeek is open source and free to use, it is beneficial to people who want to study different use cases for AI LLMs.
“There are really opportunities because it provides access to AI machines. Previously, when we just had the AI chatbots ChatGPT, Microsoft (Windows) AutoPilot, Gemini (Google), it was not so accessible. Because you had to pay for more advanced features, more advanced capabilities,” Paringit explained, adding that what DeepSeek has attained can inspire local efforts in developing similar AI LLMs even with resource limitations.
Paringit also adds that the DOST-ASTI is developing its own AI chatbot with the iTanong project.
As for the DICT, Secretary Ivan John Uy elaborated that AI is a global issue and that they have to be careful in implementing rules and regulations on AI use.
“We do not want to over-regulate, so much so that it destroys our opportunities to utilize this technology, but at the same time, we have to provide good governance policies in order to ensure safety, in order to ensure ethical use of the technology,” Uy said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay breakfast forum last January 29.
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