The race to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) has shown that success depends not only on advanced technology but also on having the right data and strong governance.
During a media briefing on the sidelines of the annual VSTECS CXO Tech Summit held in Boracay, Philippine technology leaders underscored that without these foundations, AI projects can fail to deliver real value to businesses.
“We cannot emphasize enough how important data is in the adoption and deployment of AI,” said Jimmy Go, president and CEO of VSTECS Phils. Inc., “If your company has corrupted data, it becomes very difficult to implement AI. Another key factor is having a stable digital infrastructure.”
Go explained that when businesses have clean and well-structured data, they can develop applications that analyze information, generate insights, and improve efficiency. This allows companies to make faster decisions, lower costs, and gain a competitive edge.
“It’s really about preparing organizations to grow and adapt in this fast-paced digital world,” he said.
Experts agreed that high-quality, industry-specific data is the foundation of any AI initiative. The data must be accurate, relevant, and maintained regularly to ensure that AI systems produce meaningful and reliable results. Without this foundation, even the most advanced AI tools will not work as intended.
Governance
While data is critical, it must go hand in hand with governance.
“When we talk about AI today, it’s not just about adding GPUs. It’s much more than that,” said Aris Coronel, country solutions architect of VMware by Broadcom. “We need to start with a strong infrastructure policy, one that allows systems to evolve alongside new rules, regulations, and business use cases.”
Herns Hermida, architecture specialist for Secure Networking at Cisco, said governance should be the first priority for any organization exploring AI. Governance, he said, includes compliance within the company and with national regulations.
“The good thing is that we’re not starting from scratch,” Hermida said. “Countries like Singapore and those in the EU already have frameworks in place. The Philippines is also working on its own AI compliance regulations, recognizing that AI is here to stay.”
Hermida also pointed out a common misconception about AI, that it can instantly fix business problems.
“One of the myths in the industry is that AI is seen as a silver bullet,” he said. “You put AI on something (that’s) broken in the first place, it’s still going to be broken.”
Before integrating AI into operations, Hermida said companies must first review and optimize their existing processes.
“Businesses need to first improve how they work, then use AI to scale and refine those improvements,” he said.
Industry leaders agree that successful AI adoption is not just about technology. It requires companies to invest in high-quality data, establish strong governance frameworks, and ensure that their infrastructure and teams are ready to support the opportunities that AI brings.
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