MANILA - Cybersecurity experts on Wednesday warned about a coming "scamdemic" fueled by generative AI tools.  

During the Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection Conference organized by the Bank of the Philippine Islands, experts from both the private and public sectors warned about the rise in the number of scams or cyber fraud in the Philippines. 

Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy said that AI can be a good tool to benefit Filipinos, but it can also be harmful. He said a policy on AI is now being studied

“With AI, you can do predictions, you can do modeling in order to anticipate where the flooding will be next time, whether the crops that are being produced are the correct ones in those areas, whether you’re gonna have fish kill soon or not because of all these technologies,” Uy said on the benefits of AI.

But he added that cybercriminals and hackers are also using the technology to create deepfakes and misinformation.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary Amanda Nograles agreed and said the DTI has also been receiving a rising number of complaints on scams— and many are connected to online.

‘Lalo na sa mga hindi masyado tech-savvy, they are very careless with their personal information. Yung sinasabi na kinakaharap natin “scamdemic” na. Parang daming scam in the Philippines,” Nograles asserted.

Uy said the private and public sectors must work together to end these scams, especially AI-related ones. It is now in talks with some lawmakers on possible policies on AI, but they are also balancing it so the rights to expression and free speech are not curtailed.

“We need to weigh it and see what would be the best approach where we can protect the public, and at the same time, we also do not give up on certain constitutionally protected rights,” Uy said.

Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said one way to fight these scams is to equip its people with the right tools and knowledge. They can also use AI to fight AI-related scams, he said.

“It’s now an AI vs AI. The only difference is you have to teach our AI and with seasoned investigators teaching our AI, the higher probability to resolve,” Ramos said.

The public and private sectors continue to have discussions on this issue and how to deal with AI and scams and cyber attacks in general. Conference organizer BPI said as a financial institution it is very important to focus on securing its data and the money of its customers.

“It is important that we shield our digital systems from ever-evolving cyber threats that endanger our operations and most especially can reduce the trust of our customers. This commitment to safeguarding our digital infrastructure is not just a business imperative, but also a responsibility to our stakeholders,” said BPI President TG Limcaoco who is also President of the Bankers Association of the Philippines.