Keep humans in command of AI
Philippine companies have begun adopting artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations. A recent survey by PwC and the Management Association of the Philippines found that “68 percent of chief executive officers (CEOs) have explicitly factored AI into their business plans, while 60% have begun implementing AI initiatives.”
At the same time, hasty or careless AI use is also risky. In October 2025, consulting giant Deloitte had to refund the Australian government after a report it was contracted to write was found to contain fabricated citations and quotations, hurting Deloitte’s bottom line as well as their reputation.
So how can you adopt AI prudently in your business? One sensible approach is called “human-in-command,” which is championed by Stephanie Sy, CEO of Filipino-founded tech consultancy Thinking Machines (TM).
In August 2025, TM became the first official Asia-Pacific regional services partner of technology giant OpenAI, the inventor of ChatGPT.
Sy says, “AI cannot be accountable for decisions. We must train humans on how to manage these new tools.”
This aligns with what entrepreneurs already know: employees may be empowered to use the tools of their choice—including AI—but are ultimately responsible for their outcomes.
TM worked with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) to create an AI knowledge app. Connected to the bank’s library of policies, memos and other documents, the app was rolled out across 800 branches, to help answer branch officers’ questions.
“When I first used it, I tested it against our digital library. I first verified if it was saying the same things,” says an assistant branch manager. “Now I even use it more than the digital library.”
The app now handles hundreds of inquiries weekly and helps branch officers respond to customer queries more efficiently.
At other times, AI itself can help train employees, TM worked with local microfinancing company OnePuhunan, whose account officers took months to build up confidence and practice at pitching microfinance to busy small business owners.
By piloting “AI practice partners,” account officers could accelerate confidence building through focused role-play sessions to better anticipate potential conversations, improving account officers’ confidence to handle themselves in the field.
Many guides are concerned with security and privacy with AI, which are important. But so is prudent adoption. My son Scott Lee Chua, an analytics consultant in TM, gives the following tips for entrepreneurs and executives:
Adopt slowly. Not every aspect of business needs AI. Young tech-native employees may feel more comfortable experimenting with the tools. Do not force older people to use it until they feel comfortable doing so, or mandate organization-wide adoption simply to keep up with the trend.
Identify the desired outcome, and measure it. This can be time saved, number of queries responded to, and so on. After a trial period, compare numbers before and after. Weigh the cost of using AI against the benefits obtained.
Keep employees accountable. “AI said so” should not be a valid justification. Every AI-assisted step should have a human responsible for reviewing and verifying its results.
Train employees in-house, or give them opportunities to learn best practices elsewhere. Chat with industry fellows. Train employees to have a healthy skepticism of AI outputs, and to exercise their own judgment. Be a role model in this regard. Do not use ChatGPT as the sole basis for your own decision-making.
No one has a crystal ball for how AI will continue to shape the world, or whether it will have been net positive or negative in the end. But with the boom in the AI industry, what seems true for now is that adoption will continue. Balance openness with caution to help you in your business.
Queena N. Lee-Chua is on the Board of Directors of Ateneo’s Family Business Center. Get her print book “All in the Family Business” at Lazada or Shopee, or e-book at Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks. Contact the author at blessbook.chua@gmail.com.
