AI Business Solutions, a Philippine-based tech startup, has unveiled a groundbreaking AI-powered lifeline, AI Assistant, in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to address the needs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). AI Assistant, a critical resource for OFWs who often work long hours in demanding jobs, is a 24/7 lifeline that provides a variety of services, including information on emergency assistance.
AI Assistant was previewed at the AI Summit Abu Dhabi 2023, the first-ever AI event organized by Filipino entrepreneurs, which took place on October 14 at the Life Pharmacy Building, Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi. The event highlighted well-established AI solution providers in the Middle East and included the participation of AI Business Solutions.
Co-founded in 2023 by Valerie Fischer and Vener Sarmiento, AI Business Solutions is a startup leveraging AI to help budding entrepreneurs solve business challenges. Officially presented at the summit by His Excellency Alfonso Ferdinand A. Ver, Philippine Ambassador to UAE, the AI-powered Assistant provides instant, 24/7 embassy-related answers and streamlined services, reducing wait times for efficient support.
The AI Assistant preview is particularly welcome given the historical volatility of the Middle East. AI Business Solutions trains its AI Assistant on the varying situations an OFW might find themselves in. This training not only includes scenarios such as giving assistance in case of emergency (such as a war) but also a lost passport, disputes with their employer, and more. Fischer also highlighted that AI assistants are typically trained by advanced large language models (such as Chat-GPT), which helps solutions parse through different contexts and respond more like humans.
The idea to leverage AI to streamline embassy operations began with a simple conversation between AI Business Solutions and Ambassador Ver during their initial meeting to discuss event proposals in Abu Dhabi. The ambassador expressed interest in the company’s AI expertise, particularly in AI Automation tools and custom-trained AI Assistants. He inquired about the possibility of developing an AI assistant for handling inquiries related to the Philippine Embassy.
Fischer emphasized that AI Business Solutions follows a preliminary process with every potential client to delve into their unique needs. This process involves first determining the client’s needs, budget, data quality, regulatory requirements, and scalability concerns—all of which was discussed in great length with the embassy.
“Our collective experience during COVID19 and the post-pandemic landscape have greatly accelerated the need and demand for government systems and processes to innovate and to rapidly adapt alongside the application of advanced technologies,” explained Ambassador Ver. “With these imperatives and the constant need to adapt to changes and disruptions, the application of AI and other advanced technologies naturally evolved alongside the systems and processes for the delivery of Consular and Assistance-to-Filipino Nationals (ATN) services.”
During AI Business Solutions’ initial meeting with the ambassador, three prospective benefits of the AI Assistant were highlighted. First, AI significantly lightens the workload of embassy staff dealing with passport renewals, visa queries, and document notarization—freeing up embassy staff to focus on other ways to assist OFWs. The AI Assistant can also serve as a lifeline by providing quick and reliable emergency alerts, travel advisories, and immediate assistance. This ensures the safety of OFWs wherever they may be. Finally, the AI Assistant is an easy way for OFWs in more remote areas to schedule appointments, receive guidance, and access essential information, no matter how far they are from an embassy.
Although the AI Assistant is still in beta, Fischer stresses that the tool’s development aims to be as high quality and inclusive as possible. “We’re currently supported by the Philippine Business Council in Abu Dhabi. Our devs are also based there,” explained Fischer. “We’re going at a meticulous pace because we want it to be helpful to every OFW. For one, the AI is being trained to understand a diverse array of Filipino languages such as Bisaya, Illongo, Ilocano, etc.”
Ambassador Ver points out that AI Assistant will be especially handy in the Middle East, particularly the UAE. “As per official estimates, in 2021, the UAE hosts around a million Filipinos. This number is set to increase and become one of the largest overseas Filipino communities globally,” he stated. “Pioneering an AI-powered virtual helpdesk/assistant will add value to the Embassy’s existing digital and traditional platforms for service delivery; further enhance and modernize the roster of its Consular/ ATN services; and will expand its reach given the AI helpdesk/ assistant’s 24/7 availability and cross-platform (mobile/desktop) accessibility.”