PH ranks low in AI readiness

The Philippines lags behind its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-5 peers and ranks among the bottom five countries globally in harnessing artificial intelligence (AI), according to London-based think tank Capital Economics.

- By RICARDO M. AUSTRIA

In a Feb. 16 report, Capital Economics’ AI Economic Impact Index—which measures a country’s ability to capitalize on AI—placed the Philippines 43rd out of 47 countries in February 2026, with a score of just 21 out of 100.

The report showed that the Philippines was not included in the prior 2024 AI Economic Impact Index, which covered 33 nations, suggesting that February 2026 could mark the country’s first appearance in the index if it had been excluded from the initial 2023 dataset.

Carl Gunvaldsen and Vicky Redwood, the think tank’s economist and senior economic advisor, noted that the Philippines shares the bottom five of the index with Mexico, South Africa, Ukraine, and Argentina.