Filipinos use AI more than the global average—report
Almost half of Filipinos (46%) use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) for work and their personal life at least once a month, according to a report by Jobstreet. This is more than the global average of 39% and the Southeast Asian average of 44%.
GenAI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create text, images, and other data in response to a user prompt. Its most popular examples are AI chatbots like ChatGPT and the Meta AI assistant on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The Jobstreet survey found that since the launch of the software last year, 60% of Filipinos have given it a try.
Here are some insights we learned from the report that shed light on just how pervasive GenAI has become in our professional and personal lives.
Data science, IT, and marketing use GenAI the most; manual workers and the transport sector use it the least
The relatively high usage of GenAI in the Philippines is driven by the digitalization, data science, and AI industry, with a 77% adoption rate – at par with Southeast Asia but slightly behind the global average. This is followed by IT with a 65% adoption rate and marketing and media with 59%.
Education and training, design art, architecture, and business management all have usage higher than 50%. At the lowest end of the spectrum, at 37%, are craft professions and manual work, as well as transport, logistics, and supply chain management.
Filipinos use GenAI mostly for skill development, general knowledge, and writing tasks
In terms of personal usage, 58% of surveyed Filipinos use GenAI for skills development and learning, while 54% said they use it for fact and general knowledge. This reflects a trend in Google’s GenAI chatbot Gemini: the majority of users consult the chatbot for research.
In terms of work, Filipinos mostly use GenAI for writing, administrative tasks, and learning and research.
This is alarming considering GenAI has been known to generate false information. To operate, GenAI uses generative models that enable it to interpret prompts and produce responses that fit the brief. This means it can invent information to fit the prompt. ChatGPT, for instance, often cites nonexistent sources or dead links.
Thankfully, 48% of Filipino users review and modify GenAI-generated content, higher than the global average of 42%.
Other GenAI uses include creative content creation, customer support/interaction, software development/coding, language translation, giving hobby recommendations, and being a virtual friend for conversations and emotional support.
More than half of Gen Z use GenAI for work and personal life
Filipinos aged 18-24 are twice as likely to use GenAI compared to Filipinos over 45. This aligns with the global trend where GenAI usage decreases as age increases. That said, 44% of Filipinos reported being unfamiliar with GenAI.
Most Filipinos believe GenAI will have some impact on their jobs
82 percent of surveyed Filipinos believe GenAI will change their work to some degree, and that they will need to upskill to keep up. However, only 7% believe their jobs will be completely obsolete because of the software.
Despite having the second-lowest GenAI adoption rate, craft professions and manual work are the industries most worried about losing their jobs to GenAI at 16%, even higher than those working in digitalization, data science, and AI (11%) and design and creative professions (10%). As some studies predict that GenAI will likely take over customer service roles, 10% of Filipinos in that sector worry that their jobs will no longer exist.
IT, legal and law, and engineering are among those least worried about the impact of GenAI on their jobs.
Slow internet is the most common roadblock to using GenAI
At the top of the challenges faced by Filipinos when using GenAI is slow internet. Philippine internet still lags behind our regional neighbors, often placing in the lower tiers for speed and quality.
Other common roadblocks include difficulty in writing prompts, unavailability of data, and the lack of credible sources.
