When government AI gives wrong answers, who is accountable?

Detailed summary

MANILA, Philippines – Days after its September 21, 2026 launch, the Philippine government’s AI assistant, Kuya A, incorrectly named US President Donald Trump as the Philippine…

MANILA, Philippines – Days after its September 21, 2026 launch, the Philippine government’s AI assistant, Kuya A, incorrectly named US President Donald Trump as the Philippine president.

When challenged, it named former US President Joe Biden before giving the correct answer, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the following morning.

Integrated into the eGovPH Super App, Kuya A helps users navigate government services, process documents, and access legal information. Its error raises concerns about how inaccurate answers could mislead citizens seeking government assistance.

Developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the eGovPH Super App features Kuya A, an AI assistant that answers questions, extracts documents, identifies images, translates information, and provides legal and regulatory content. The platform also offers tools for tourism, agriculture, and health.

These features could make government services easier to access, but inaccurate guidance on legal, health, or application matters could have serious consequences.

Since Kuya A is part of an official government app, users may assume its answers are reliable even when they are wrong.

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The eGovAI terms and conditions warn that AI-generated responses may contain errors or incomplete information.

They also clarify that these responses do not automatically count as official government decisions, legal opinions, medical advice, or binding agency guidance.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Philippine Daily Inquirer. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.