TL;DR: The conversation around artificial intelligence is often dominated by what could go wrong, but a different story is taking shape. Governments are exploring practical ways to put AI to work, showing that its impact will ultimately depend on how thoughtfully the technology is developed, deployed, and governed.
Key Takeaways
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining notoriety over widespread misuse, environmental costs, fears it could one day take over people’s jobs, cybersecurity issues, and the worst and most recent one—its potential to reportedly kill more than 10% of humanity in the next decade.
These drawbacks made it harder for people to see AI’s capacity to transform industries for the greater good and likely view it more as a tool that could bring the world to its impending doom.
While AI’s advantages can easily get lost in the noise, countries like South Korea, Uganda, and the Philippines are making efforts to showcase how this advanced technology can remain beneficial under clear objectives and proper planning and execution.
South Korea puts AI at the heart of disasters
Humanity’s ability to predict calamities has improved over time, thanks to modern technology. However, the timing of catastrophes such as earthquakes remains a challenge, and countries often bank on reinforcing their disaster preparedness to make up for this.
In South Korea, the government has announced some KRW940 billion ($7701.6 million) investment plan by 2030 to develop an AI system that can predict disaster risk and provide assistance to authorities in making crucial decisions, including in cases when evacuation and road closures are needed.
The allocated funds for the “Comprehensive Plan for Government-wide AI Transformation in Disaster Safety (AX)” will be divided among 50 projects to be piloted in the cities of Busan and Yeongcheon and Inje County, whose local governments were selected through a public competition this year, Asia Today reported.
The projects will focus on typhoon- and flood-related disaster and safety measures, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Under the plan, authorities will convert disaster reports and situation messages circulated among government agencies and authorities into AI-readable data that the new system can analyze alongside satellite and disaster-risk information. Doing so will give authorities a more comprehensive picture of developing disasters and allow them to act and make decisions accordingly.
“We will rapidly convert and integrate the disaster management data accumulated so far into a form that AI can understand, and together complete the smart disaster safety AX that is of practical help to public officials in the field,” Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-joong said.
The ministry is also not downplaying the possibility that AI may collect incorrect information from public websites, which can occur due to complex information-display structures. To address this, authorities plan to design new public websites and overhaul existing ones to enable the proposed AI system to access information more directly and reliably.
Putting Uganda’s hidden gems on the map
From disaster preparedness, AI is also becoming a critical tool for tourism growth and development, which the East African nation of Uganda highlighted recently.
East Africa is a popular destination for tourists seeking wildlife safaris, particularly the Great Migration. In Uganda, among the famous activities that attract foreign visitors are the mountain gorilla trekking and bird watching. It also offers scenic landscapes, including the Rwenzori Mountains and the Nile River, whose starting point is in Jinja.
But Uganda has a lot more to offer, with President Yoweri Museveni believing that AI could help push the country’s hidden attractions to a broader audience.
In a remark during World Tourism Day on September 27, Museveni said digital technologies and AI could enhance Uganda’s tourism competitiveness by making it easier for tourists to discover and book destinations online and to discuss experiences with locals and operators.
“A tourist today wants to discover a destination online, compare experiences, communicate with operators, make bookings, navigate easily and share the experience instantly,” the president said as quoted by the Global Times. “Uganda must therefore ensure that our tourism businesses are visible and competitive in the digital marketplace.
This is of particular importance, as most people these days rely on AI assistants or chatbots for travel recommendations, unlike in the old days, when the competition was whether places and experiences were searchable or not.
Nowadays, it’s vital that vacation spots are recommendable by AI, said Arthur Lwamfa, Senior Marketing Officer for Domestic and Regional Markets at the Uganda Tourism Board.
Apart from marketing destinations, AI can also be of help in developing tourism products, boosting customer engagement, offering insights into visitor behavior, and even improving conservation management.
But while AI and other digital technologies could aid Uganda in tourism development, Lwamfa noted that the government should also work on establishing a trusted information ecosystem, citing the current data problems that the country is facing.
AI adoption gains ground in Philippine tourism
On the other side of the globe, small tourism businesses in the Philippines are being pushed toward greater use of AI and digital technology as the government looks to help them reach travelers beyond their traditional markets.
In an effort to make the country’s tourism more competitive, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is advocating for the broader adoption of emerging technologies among tourism enterprises, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSMEs).
The department said that adopting AI and digital technologies would open new opportunities for businesses to increase their visibility among potential investors, connect with customers, and enhance the services they provide. On top of this, AI could offer support to MSMEs in adapting to shifting market demands.
“The future of Philippine tourism is digital, but it will always be about our people,” said DOT Ilocos Regional Director Benjamin Manahan Jr. during the 2026 Region 1 Tourism Summit in the province of Pangasinan on September 30, the Philippine Information Agency reported.
Alongside the promotion of AI and digital technology use, the DOT also announced the expansion of initiatives designed to connect tourism with farmers, local markets, and MSMEs, as the agency seeks to spread the economic benefits of visitor spending across local communities.
This follows the tourism industry’s increased reliance on digital channels to engage travelers and enhance their experiences. For local businesses, increased digital visibility can help connect them with visitors before, during, and after their trips. It also opens new opportunities for promoting locally produced goods, services, and the Filipino culture within the tourism economy.
FAQs:
How can AI benefit industries beyond technology?
AI can help industries analyze information, improve decision-making, reach customers, personalize services, and identify new opportunities. The examples from disaster management and tourism show how these capabilities can be applied to practical challenges.
How is South Korea using AI for disaster management?
South Korea plans to develop AI systems that analyze disaster reports alongside satellite imagery and risk data to help authorities assess threats and make decisions on measures such as evacuations and road closures.
How can AI help Uganda’s tourism industry?
AI can make destinations more discoverable online, help travelers find and book experiences, support customer engagement, provide insights into visitor behavior, and assist with tourism product development and conservation management.
Why is the Philippines encouraging AI adoption among tourism MSMEs?
The Philippine government sees digital technology and AI as tools that can help smaller tourism businesses reach more travelers, improve customer engagement, respond to market demand, and connect with wider tourism-related economic opportunities.
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