Insider Spotlight
A Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) study found that while 90.8 percent of establishments own computers and 81 percent have internet access, only 14.9 percent use AI tools, with overall AI adoption across industries at just 3 percent.
TELUS Digital Philippines said its internal initiatives illustrate how organizations can encourage AI adoption when technology investments are paired with employee training and governance frameworks.
The company has introduced AI hackathons, learning tools, and internal platforms aimed at helping employees apply AI in day-to-day work rather than limiting its use to technical teams.
Why it matters
The findings reinforce that expanding AI adoption requires more than access to digital tools, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises that often lack resources to invest in technology and workforce capabilities.
By the numbers
The PIDS study identified four key barriers to wider AI adoption: weak digital infrastructure, limited awareness of emerging technologies, skills shortages, and limited funding opportunities.
TELUS Digital Philippines said it also invested in Fuel iX, its proprietary AI platform, to provide employees with AI capabilities within a controlled environment designed to support data protection and responsible AI use.
The company said such investments may remain difficult for many businesses without stronger public and private sector support.
Zoom in
The company said AI has helped streamline internal operations, including analyzing more than 15,000 employee survey comments from over 25,000 team members.
It said the initiative reduced analysis time by 70 percent, allowing specialists to focus on developing action plans instead of manually reviewing feedback.
“What we've learned is that even with the right technology in place, adoption doesn't happen on its own,” TELUS Digital Philippines country vice president Anne Munoz said in a press statement.
“People need to understand why it matters, feel confident using it, and trust that it's being used responsibly. That's what we've focused on building internally. But for most businesses in the Philippines, the bigger obstacle is getting to that starting point in the first place.That's why the infrastructure investment, funding mechanisms, and governance frameworks the country is working toward are so important,” she added.
The bottom line
As AI adoption accelerates globally, Philippine businesses will need coordinated support from government, industry, and the private sector to build the digital foundations and workforce capabilities required for broader, responsible implementation. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
