PCSC AI Workshops

Day 1 – May 9, 2024 (8:30 AM – 4:45 PM)

These workshops are jointly organized by the CSP Special Interest Groups on Artificial Intelligence and Women in Computing (WiC) in partnership with the ACM Women in Computing.


8:30 AM – 8:45 AM:  Opening Program

8:45 AM – 9:45 AM:  Plenary Talk 1

Navigating AI's Potential: Choosing the Right Use Cases for Innovation and Growth
In the pursuit of leveraging AI's potential, a critical question emerges: "Where can we strategically apply this transformative technology for optimal results?" This presentation delves into the strategic deployment of AI within business contexts, offering a blueprint for identifying key use cases. Our focus centers on responsible AI adoption, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to job preservation, facilitating reskilling initiatives, and contributing to societal advancement.

Dr. Charibeth Cheng currently serves as the Associate Dean at De La Salle University's College of Computer Studies. Additionally, she holds the position of co-founder and head of Research at Senti AI. Her professional expertise centers on Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning. Her work started in 2003 and is primarily focused on developing computational resources that facilitate the processing of text written in Philippine languages. Notably, she openly shares several of these tools through various repositories to benefit the wider Natural Language Processing community.

9:45 AM – 10:00 AM:  Break

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM:  Plenary Talk 2

Responsible AI – Transparency, Accountability, and Trust
There is a need to dispel misconceptions about artificial intelligence (AI) to effectively leverage its potential for boosting workplace productivity and national development. It acknowledges the practical applications of AI, such as voice recognition, computer vision, and internet searches. However, Dr. Teehankee criticizes the exaggerated hype surrounding chatbots built on large language models like GPT-4 and its contenders, suggesting that this creates unnecessary confusion and distraction.

Dr. Benito Teehankee is a Full Professor and the former Chairperson of the Management and Organization Department of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business at De La Salle University (DLSU).

He handles various leadership and management topics for clients such as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Social Security System, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, DB Schenker PH, and Coca-Cola FEMSA Phils. to name a few.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM:  AI Workshop Plenary Talk 3

Philosophical Foundations of AI
The technology of AI (artificial intelligence) has been providing us with more efficient ways of doing things in various areas of our lives. It facilitates, for instance, how we accomplish our tasks, solve some of our complex problems, and communicate with one another. But along with new ways of doing things are new risks and dangers, which in turn give rise to a new area of ethical issues. The peculiarities of this technology, such as, among other things, the lack of transparency in how it performs its (computational) processes and its ability to quickly extract patterns from a large set of data and generate new facts from preexisting ones, have raised ethical concerns that necessitate a new approach. Consequently, a new area of ethical studies, called "AI Ethics," has been instituted for this purpose. The lecture aims to provide an overview of this discipline. It will first explain the key concepts that define the discipline, namely, AI and ethics. After which, it will examine the various ethical issues arising from the use of AI technology.

Dr. Napoleon M. Mabaquiao, Jr., is a full professor of philosophy at De La Salle University (DLSU), Manila. He specializes in the areas of ethics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy (magna cum laude) and M.A. in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He obtained his Ph.D. in Philosophy (with gold medals for high distinction and outstanding dissertation) at DLSU Manila. He has published journal articles and books in the areas of his specialization.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM:  Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM:  CSP 25th Year Silver Celebration Workshop

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM:  Break

▷  Parallel Session 1

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM:  AI in Education

According to UNESCO, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today. However, a lot of educators are still hesitant to embrace AI because of its potential misuse, which can undermine the integrity of our academic systems. This talk aims to provide a level perspective on the current state of AI in the context of education by exploring the strengths and weaknesses of various state-of-the-art AI tools, their many potential applications for educators and students in various phases of teaching and learning, as well as the potential risks and how we can minimize them. If you are an educator looking to help prepare your students for an AI-powered future, then this talk is a good place to start.

Dr. Thomas James Tiam-Lee is a research fellow at the Dr. Andrew L. Tan Data Science Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Future University Hakodate in Hokkaido, Japan, under a scholarship from the Japanese government. His dissertation is on the computational modelling of students' emotional states while learning programming. He has received several recognitions for his research work, including the best full research paper at the 14th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Currently, he is an assistant professor in De La Salle University, College of Computer Studies, where he focuses on artificial intelligence, computational social science, data science, and its applications to various fields and disciplines.

3:45 PM – 4:45 PM:  AI in Creative Arts

His latest course entitled "Introduction to AI Technology" aims to give a wholistic understanding of Artificial Intelligence and its relationship to Human Experience — especially in the fields Media, Technology, and Society. It does this from diverse vantage points: its philosophical origins, the ethical challenges surrounding it, and its creative possibilities.

Mr. Edward Delos Santos Cabagnot's career in Philippine cinema spans over three decades beginning as Film Programmer at the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines in 1982. In 1987, it continued at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) where he served as Director of the CCP Media Arts (Film & Broadcast) Division until his retirement in 2013. His work includes the establishment of alternative cinema networks nationwide (the CCP/NCCA Lakbay Sine and the CCP SineKlab), managing the Gawad CCP Para Sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video (the longest-running independent film festival in Southeast Asia, and co-founding the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

Since 2008, he has served as a jury member for numerous international film festivals including the Berlinale, the Busan International Film Festival, and the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, to name just a few.

In 2007, he was awarded an API (Asian Public Intellectuals) Fellowship Grant by the Nippon Foundation which focussed on the topic "Changing Landscapes, Changing Lives: the Changing Cinemas of Southeast Asia." In 2010, he also completed a five-week scholarship training on Film Festival Management for the Deutsche Welle in Berlin, Germany.

Cabagnot is a two-time Palanca awardee for playwriting and a prolific writer for Philippine and international publications. His latest work "Martin Heidegger's Being & Time and Manuel Silos' Biyaya Ng Lupa" on Philosophy and Pinoy Cinema was recently published by the University of the Philippines Press.

Currently, he is a member of the faculty at the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde — specializing in Contemporary Southeast Asian Cinema, Film Festival Management, and, of late, AI Technology in Media and the Creative/Culture Industries.

▷  Parallel Session 2

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM:  AI in Business

According to Forbes, there is a wide range of AI in business. This includes the ability for retailers to analyze data, manage inventory, make sound marketing decisions, improve customer experience, and use automation for repetitive tasks through Robotics Process Automation (RPA). This helps businesses and employees be more productive and gets the job done swiftly.

Dr. Ma. Rowena R. Caguiat is an Associate Professor at the College of Computer Studies and Director for Professional Training and Development at the School of Lifelong Learning, De La Salle University.

Dr. Caguiat has over 25 years in the IT Industry, specializing in Enterprise Applications (ERP), Project Management, eLearning, Instructional Design, Academic Teaching, Research, and Development.

3:45 PM – 4:45 PM:  AI in Industry

This session will delve into real-world examples showcasing how AI optimizes operations, enhances decision-making, and revolutionizes customer experiences. Discover how AI-driven technologies such as anomaly detection, predictive analytics and machine learning are transforming industries, enabling businesses to unlock new opportunities and stay ahead in today's rapidly evolving landscape. Whether you're a seasoned industry professional or an AI enthusiast, this talk promises to inspire and enlighten, providing valuable insights into the AI revolution that is shaping the future of industries.

Dr. Ann Franchesca Laguna is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Technology at De La Salle University. She is also a member of the Bioinformatics Laboratory, the Center for Automation Research and Data Science Institute at the university. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, USA, in May 2022 under the Fulbright Scholarship. She received her MS degree in Electrical Engineering under the Engineering Research and Development (ERDT) Scholarship of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and a BS degree in Computer Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2012. She is a recipient of Outstanding Research Assistant at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame and has been nominated for the best paper award at DATE 2021. She has published in top conferences and journals, including Nature Communications and Nature Electronics. She is currently the managing editor of ACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems (TODAES).

Important Dates

  • Deadline of Paper Submission for Main Conference and Student Research Workshop
    Submission Portal  
    March 17, 2024

  • Author Notification for Main Conference and Student Research Workshop
    April 9, 2024

  • Deadline of Camera-Ready Submission for Main Conference and Student Research Workshop
    April 16, 2024

  • Early-Bird Registration Deadline
    Registration Link  
    April 21, 2024

  • Author Registration Deadline
    Registration Link  
    April 21, 2024

  • Conference Date
    May 9–11, 2024