The Philippines jumped seven places to 49th in the latest Government AI Readiness Index, cementing its position in the top quantile of 195 countries assessed and signaling growing confidence in its artificial intelligence policy and governance framework.
Released by UK-based think tank Oxford Insights, the index—now in its eighth edition—marks a strategic shift. Rather than simply measuring how governments deploy AI in public services, the study now evaluates how effectively states are positioned to harness AI for long-term public benefit.
The Philippines stood out for its policy capacity, where it scored a robust 84.5, its highest mark across six pillars. Governance followed with a score of 70.84, while public sector adoption posted a solid 69.17, reflecting progress in integrating AI tools into government operations.
More mixed results emerged in other areas. The country scored 56.62 in resilience, indicating moderate preparedness to manage AI-related risks. AI infrastructure lagged at 48.11, while development and diffusion—the spread of AI innovation across the economy—ranked lowest at 42.46, underscoring gaps in technical capacity and ecosystem maturity.
Oxford Insights said true AI readiness depends on more than policy ambition. Governments must align national AI strategies with strong governance, reliable infrastructure, and active public sector adoption, backed by sufficient funding and international cooperation. Just as critical are skilled human capital, a vibrant AI ecosystem, and safeguards that protect rights, security, and long-term sustainability.
The Government AI Readiness Index has become a widely cited global benchmark, used by institutions such as UNESCO and the G20 to track national and regional AI progress.
This year’s rankings were led by the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and France, highlighting the competitive global race to govern and deploy AI effectively.
