In the Philippines, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc. has been very controversial especially when discussing their impact on the nation's education. As Filipino students increasingly use these tools for any tasks and activities, many have expressed concern about academic dishonesty. Both the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have warned schools about the unregulated use of AI. With students growing more dependent on these tools, Philippine schools must establish clear regulations to ensure that technology supports student learning. Without proper guidelines, these tools may undermine the quality of education in the Philippines.
With AI, one of the strongest reasons to enforce regulation on AI is academic dishonesty. Local high schools and universities have reported cases of students submitting AI-generated outputs as their own work. Because AI tools can produce original text that cannot be detected by traditional plagiarism checkers, Filipino educators will find difficulty in assessing their students' understanding of the lessons. This problem has become so widespread that many institutions, including several major universities in the country (e.g. UP, Ateneo, La Salle, UST, etc.), have begun drafting their own classroom AI policies. Schools must create and strictly enforce the rules to preserve academic integrity nationwide.
Beyond cheating, unregulated AI use weakens genuine learning among Filipino students. In the K–12 system, where foundational reading and writing skills are still a major national concern. In the Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), around 18 million Filipino graduates are potentially functionally illiterate. Adding to this grave situation, many students have begun relying on AI to do their school work instead of developing their comprehension skills. CHED has similarly raised alarms that college students using AI tools excessively may lose critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. When students depend on AI to think for them, they lose out on real intellectual growth that comes from the typical struggles from practice. Establishing classroom rules that clarify when AI is helpful and when independent work is required helps ensure that Filipino students develop the skills needed for higher education and future employment.
Regulating AI is also necessary to address equity issues in Philippine education. Not all Filipino students have equal access to advanced AI tools. While some can afford laptops, stable internet, and paid AI subscriptions, the rest rely on slow mobile data or free versions of AI with limited features. This creates an imbalance in performance where grades may reflect access to technology rather than student effort or ability. Schools can reduce this inequality by providing supervised access to AI tools within campus facilities or by standardizing when and how AI may be used. Without this, AI will widen the existing digital divide in Philippine education.
In conclusion, the growing presence of AI in Philippine classrooms presents both opportunities and challenges. Without clear regulations, AI tools may let students gain undesirable traits and significantly weaken the learning process among Filipino learners. Schools must implement responsible policies that preserve academic integrity and protect the quality of education while still taking advantage of the benefits that technology offers. Regulating AI is not about resisting innovation, but about ensuring that modern tools strengthen Philippine learning. Educators and policymakers can guide students toward responsible AI use that promotes honesty, skill development, and fairness in the country's classrooms.