EDITORS must adapt to the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) while adhering to ethical standards, a freelance journalist said during a literary workshop at Pasinaya 2026, the multi-arts festival organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
“Al is here to stay—whether we like it or not. For something this transformative, the best approach is to accept [or] embrace it, understand it well, and strategize our moves accordingly,” Aimee Morales, founder of the Freelance Writers’ Guild of the Philippines, told the Varsitarian.
While AI has created opportunities for editing work, human editors remain irreplaceable due to their crucial responsibility of providing ethical judgment and context that AI cannot replicate, Morales said.
AI-generated content, which can be formulaic and robotic, can become vague, repetitive or simply incorrect, and human intervention is needed to catch mistakes and ensure the published work is accurate, she said.
“What makes human work meaningful? The answer is our ability to care, to judge, to contextualize, and to take responsibility for the words we put into the world,” Morales said.
Morales also highlighted the need for government regulation on AI use in the Philippines.
Architecture alumnus and graphic artist Roland Amago, who conducted a comic writing and illustration workshop, said AI should only be used as a tool and not as a replacement for human creativity.
“It’s important that we keep on working. We keep on producing our own works. If you want to experiment with AI, experiment using it as a tool, not as a way of producing the final product,” he told the Varsitarian.
Former Varsitarian editor in chief and literary editor Victor Emmanuel “Vim” Nadera Jr. was among the festival performers.
Nadera served as the storyteller for a musical rendition of an environmental children’s book, titled “Si Okto-Punas sa Dagat ng Isla Manlanat,” penned by Elmer Ursolino.
The story centers on an octopus named Okto-Punas and his role in an ecosystem where marine life is threatened and affected by pollution.
The musical reenactment of the book was performed by students from the Bataan High School for the Arts, who were trained in creative writing, dance, music, theater, visual arts, and media arts.
The CCP festival was held from Feb. 7 to 8 across multiple venues in Metro Manila, including regional venues in Iloilo City, Tagum City, and Roxas City, Capiz. John Kobe S. Balod
