Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer new in the Philippine higher education system. It’s being used and practiced by educators and students in the learning environment. But why do universities struggle to institutionalize the push of AI, if this has entered the system?
Brylle Bae, the research director of The Fourth Wall, shared the results which they have collected from Filipino educators in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao on how institutions are embracing AI technology.
The results have revealed that 50 percent of respondents indicated that their institutions have started implementing AI literacy programs. Additionally, 40 percent of respondents noted that their institutions were using AI for staff, including course material and AI-powered tutoring services. While 18 percent of the respondents shared that their institutions were still exploring AI without any implementation plan.
These numbers suggest different approaches to implementing AI within institutions and raise issues regarding the policies, training, and institutional support necessary for integrating the technology into learning and teaching processes.
The main struggle goes beyond introducing AI to universities in the Philippines, because technology itself is already accessible to most users. Students are using it, educators are experimenting with it, and institutions are discussing it. What appears to be missing is the real connection between AI awareness and meaningful institutional implementation.
While platforms such as Canvas LMS have helped universities build digital learning environments, the challenge now extends beyond having the technology. It is about creating proper guidelines, skills, and institutional support needed to make AI work meaningfully within these environments.
Having access to AI tools does not automatically mean that an institution knows how to use them effectively. There should be strategies and proper approaches to strengthen the use of AI.
For educators, integrating AI into the classroom can raise several questions. How should AI be incorporated into assessments? What should students be allowed to use it for? How can educators distinguish between AI-assisted learning and academic dishonesty? More importantly, how can teachers themselves be trained to understand the technology? These questions cannot be answered by technology alone.
And in this transition, students should be included. AI literacy is not about knowing how to generate responses using an AI tool. It should include a deeper understanding on how to verify information, recognize limitations, safeguard personal information, and critically assess AI content.
The role of AI, therefore, should not be about replacing educators or making students dependent on technology. Instead, it should become a tool that harnesses and strengthens learning while preserving critical thinking, creativity, and human judgment.
The challenge for universities out there is how to build a connection between technology and its users, educators and students, with policies and strategies that will properly align with the goal of strengthening the learning environment as AI integrates itself more in the system.
Data presented at CanvasCon 2026 emphasizes how we are preparing our educators and students to utilize AI efficiently.
