AI, Education and Inclusive Development

Technology has shaped several eras of world-changing economic development and we are now on the cusp of the 4th industrial revolution (4IR) or the age of integration of digital technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in particular can catalyze dramatic changes in economies. This brief paper reviews the economic and education implications of AI, arguing that this technology can dramatically reshape the economy more broadly and the education sector more specifically, while also further elevating the role of education as a key lever for inclusive development under 4IR. Nevertheless—similar to early technology waves—the impact of AI and the 4IR could be unequalizing, driving a deep wedge between the “technology haves” and the “technology have-nots”. Policy measures that could mitigate this unequalizing risk will be outlined in this paper; and key aspects for an inclusivity strategy could be underpinned by technology investments in public basic education. AI integration in the Philippines presents several challenges as well as opportunities. Ensuring more equitable access to technology across urban and rural areas in the Philippine basic education system could help address the digital divide, while at the same time ratcheting upwards the quality of various inputs needed for a well-functioning education system. The improvements  could shape teacher training, learning management and learning materials, education assessments and school-based management, as well as the over-all connectivity of the basic education system in the Philippines. 

Ronald U. Mendoza, PhD is Undersecretary for Strategic Management (Policy, Planning and Public-Private Partnerships) with the Department of Education of the Republic of the Philippines. He is a governance and institutional reforms specialist with over 25 years of experience in economic development policy and public administration reforms…

He served as Dean and Professor of Economics with the Ateneo School of Government, from 2016 to 2022. Between August 2020 and July 2022 he also served as Chief of Party of PARTICIPATE, a three year USAID project focused on supporting citizens’ participation in governance and strengthening democratic and governance institutions. Throughout 2022 and 2023, he served as Regional Director for Southeast Asia at IDInsight, a global advisory, data analytics, and research organization seeking to improve lives with the use of data and evidence.

From 2011 to 2015, he was an Associate Professor of Economics at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), and the Executive Director of the AIM Rizalino S. Navarro Policy Center for Competitiveness. His research background includes work with UNICEF, UNDP, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and several Manila-based non-governmental organizations. In early 2021, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) approved Ron Mendoza’s appointment to serve with the 24-person UN Committee of the Experts on Public Administration (CEPA 2021-2025). And from 2022 to 2024, he was listed among the Philippines’ top 100 scientists in the AD Scientific Index based on the total number of citations in the last 5 years.

Ron Mendoza obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics (Honors Program) from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, his Masters in Public Administration and International Development (MPA-ID) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Fordham University.  

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