Manila: The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is set to launch the National Artificial Intelligence Center for Research and Innovation (NAICRI) on February 26. This new hub aims to be the Philippines' central facility for AI research, advanced computing, and innovation, ensuring continuity, coordination, and governance beyond individual projects and funding cycles, as stated by DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr.

According to Philippines News Agency, NAICRI will consolidate operational AI platforms and tools developed by DOST, thereby centralizing AI research and computing infrastructure. Among the innovations to be showcased are NAIRA (Nexus for AI Research and Applications), DIMER (Democratized Intelligent Model Exchange Repository), and iTANONG. These platforms will offer computing resources, AI models, and deployment tools to government agencies, researchers, and micro, small, and medium enterprises.

NAIRA is designed to provide access to computing resources and AI models, while DIMER focuses on building and deploying models for agriculture, disaster detection, and traffic analysis across agencies. iTANONG serves as a natural language interface allowing users to search complex organizational data in Filipino.

According to DOST, NAICRI will lead national AI research priorities, partnerships, and standards, coordinating efforts among government, academia, and industry. It will also act as a hub for data systems and reusable AI templates that various sectors can adopt for applications in health, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, and traffic management, among other areas.

The launch event, scheduled to take place at a hotel in Manila, will bring together government officials, Congress leaders, academia, industry representatives, development partners, and international collaborators.