Manila, Jan. 9 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday pledged to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to spur economic growth, committing to create a "harmonized and human-centered AI ecosystem" not just in the Philippines but across Southeast Asia.

"At the national level, we are leveraging AI as an engine for development," Marcos said during the launching of the Department of Education's (DepEd) Project Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence (AGAP.AI) at the Quezon City Science High School.

"We are establishing the Philippine AI Program Framework for the future-proofing of our economy."

Marcos said the national framework focuses on building robust infrastructure such as high-performance ...