On November 13\u201314, 2025, the University of Southeastern Philippines\u2019 5th International Conference on Arts and Sciences (ICAS 2025) soared into the digital realm, bringing together thinkers, creators, and innovators from across the Philippines and beyond. Under the theme \u201cBeyond the Horizon: Arts and Sciences in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,\u201d the conference explored the frontier where human ingenuity meets AI, illuminating new pathways for knowledge, creativity, and collaboration. True to the owl of the CAS insignia\u2014symbol of wisdom, vigilance, and insight\u2014ICAS 2025 guided participants through interdisciplinary explorations that bridged science, art, and technology, revealing how AI reshapes the way we understand and advance the world.<\/p>\n
The opening message delivered by Dr. Maria Luisa Faunillan, Vice President for Administration, on behalf of USeP President Dr. Bonifacio G. Gabales, Jr., immediately grounded the event in purpose and responsibility. \u201cAs scholars, teachers, and researchers, we are here not only to share findings but to shape how AI is understood and applied in ways that are humane, ethical, and useful to our communities.\u201d It was a reminder that as AI accelerates, wisdom\u2014not speed\u2014must lead. This was echoed by Dr. Ernel D. Bagbag, RDCAS Center Manager, who reinforced the University\u2019s global commitment: \u201cThe 5th International Conference on Arts and Sciences\u2026 embodies USeP\u2019s strong commitment to advancing internationalization with ASEAN and beyond.\u201d He emphasized that as \u201cAI continues to reshape the ways knowledge is produced, communicated, and applied,\u201d ICAS stands as a vital space for reflection and collaboration.<\/p>\n
The keynote address by Dr. Jose Wendell P. Capili set the intellectual tone for Day 1. With clarity and urgency, he warned of cultural invisibility in an algorithmic world: \u201cWe are not going to eliminate AI, it is already there, but we have to be critical\u2026 because AI does not necessarily include things that are local to us.\u201d He challenged participants to resist superficial narratives, insisting, \u201cWe must choose the difficult, honest, and resource-aware stories\u2026 the enduring, decentralized, and fiercely defended truth of our stories.\u201d His call to defend localized, grounded narratives echoed the owl\u2019s ability to see beyond distortions and into deeper truths.<\/p>\n
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The morning continued with insights that extended across disciplines. Dr. Jomar F. Rabajante, Dean of the UPLB Graduate School, reminded ASEAN scholars of their shared responsibility, noting that \u201cKnowledge transfer and training, and shared technical expertise are important since not all ASEAN countries have strong epidemiological modeling research infrastructure.\u201d This was followed by Dr. Chung-Der Hsiao of Chung Yuan Christian University, whose work demonstrated AI\u2019s potential to transform scientific study: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to waste your time to take the risk by yourself, the computer can do it for you.\u201d Together, the plenaries exemplified the interdisciplinary reach of the CAS mission.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon, ICAS shifted into parallel sessions spanning Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Statistics, Language and Literature, and Social Sciences\u2014a seamless testament to the CAS insignia\u2019s interconnected design. Research on mathematical problem-solving, biodiversity, statistical modeling, ecological music analysis, governance, and cultural identity highlighted how AI intersects differently across fields yet raises shared ethical questions. Moderated by Dr. Ariel C. Pedrano, Dr. Cindy Grace S. Abas, Dr. Anthony F. Capili, Dr. Angelo Lenard E. Yu, and Assoc. Prof. Luden L. Baterina, these sessions illustrated how interdisciplinary inquiry thrives when nurtured under a unifying theme.<\/p>\n
Day 2 began with a reflective pulse. Asst. Prof. Victor Paul J. Dela Cruz captured the essence of the previous day, stating, \u201cWe began with over 500 participants\u2026 Three speakers, three disciplines, one insight. AI is neither good nor evil. It\u2019s a tool, and the question is who holds it and for what purpose.\u201d His remarks framed the second day as an invitation to deepen understanding rather than simply continue discussion.<\/p>\n
This was followed by a message from Dr. Roger S. Montepio, Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension, who honored ICAS as \u201ca milestone of interdisciplinary dialogue, scholarly exchange, and global collaboration.\u201d He emphasized that \u201cArtificial intelligence is not merely a tool. It is a paradigm shift,\u201d urging participants \u201cto look beyond the horizon\u2026 in nurturing inclusive, ethical, and interdisciplinary futures.\u201d<\/p>\n
The plenary of Dr. Joi Barrios-Leblanc, Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, brought the conversation into the classroom, demonstrating how AI reshapes pedagogy and linguistic practice. She shared, \u201cMost of us during our research have discovered that AI can facilitate literature review\u2026\u201d while stressing the need for student agency and ethical analysis: \u201cLanguage is not neutral and we must look at ideologies and biases that may be contained in both language and artificial intelligence tools.\u201d She affirmed that \u201cAI should assist and not replace academic work\u2026 the tools should help us improve what we\u2019ve already written.\u201d Her talk underscored that wisdom in teaching requires balancing innovation with critical reflection.<\/p>\n
The final plenary by Dr. Gerald Roche, Associate Professor at La Trobe University, introduced the sobering realities of AI in relation to Indigenous language rights. He asserted, \u201cThere\u2019s been a systematic process of genocide\u2026 and the key element\u2026 has been language oppression.\u201d His experiments with AI tools revealed troubling tendencies: \u201cChatGPT is perfectly capable of and willing to circumvent\u2026 prior and informed consent,\u201d and that large language models \u201cviolate protocols\u2026 steal intellectual cultural property\u2026 and produce harmful stereotypes.\u201d He warned that proposed solutions requiring more extraction from Indigenous cultures are \u201cnot a good solution to that problem.\u201d His insights reminded participants that the horizon of AI is not only technological but deeply ethical, cultural, and political.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon, ICAS continued its interdisciplinary momentum through parallel sessions in Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Statistics, Language and Literature, and Social Sciences\u2014once again reflecting the CAS insignia\u2019s interconnected design. The sessions offered brief but meaningful glimpses into how AI is shaping mathematical inquiry, ecological and biodiversity studies, statistical modeling, literary and media analysis, and contemporary social experiences. Moderated by Dr. Ariel C. Pedrano, Dr. Cindy Grace S. Abas, Dr. Anthony F. Capili, Dr. Angelo Lenard E. Yu, and Assoc. Prof. Luden L. Baterina, these breakout discussions demonstrated how diverse fields converge under a shared theme, revealing AI\u2019s distinct yet interconnected impact across the arts and sciences.<\/p>\n
Across two days, ICAS 2025 demonstrated that to navigate the age of artificial intelligence, the academic community must embrace the CAS owl\u2019s wisdom\u2014clear-eyed, ethically vigilant, and interdisciplinary at its core. Looking beyond the horizon requires recognizing that AI\u2019s future depends not on the technology itself, but on the human values, cultural truths, and collective insight that guide its use. In uniting arts and sciences under the lens of artificial intelligence, ICAS 2025 stood as a testament to the College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 mission to guide society into an AI-empowered future that remains firmly, and wisely, human.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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