10 July 2026
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries and everyday life, digital transformation leader Joaquin “Jajo” Quintos IV left Benildean graduates with a challenge that reached beyond technology.
“The biggest battle of your generation, in a world enamored with Artificial Intelligence, is not the battle against AI, but it is that humanity, your humanity, our humanity, prevails,” he said during the College’s Commencement Exercises for the Second Term of Academic Year 2025 to 2026 on July 4, 2026.
Quintos has spent decades leading organizations through technological change. He served as chairman and president of IBM Philippines, built and managed a software and business process outsourcing company, and led startup ventures in technology, healthcare, and education before becoming chairman of Benilde’s Board of Trustees. Drawing from that experience, he spoke about a future where artificial intelligence will become more capable while people remain responsible for how it is used.
His message echoed a conversation that has steadily grown across Benilde in recent years. Through classroom discussions, industry forums, digital initiatives, and partnerships, the College has explored how artificial intelligence can help people learn, create, solve problems, and serve communities without losing sight of the values that define humanity. Quintos acknowledged the remarkable progress of AI and the opportunities it brings.
“Humanity will always be greater than anything humans make. Lest we forget, AI was made by man. AI is a wonderful, powerful and amazing tool and its impact profoundly cuts across almost every aspect of our daily lives,” he said. “While AI is a valuable tool, it is just that, a tool.”
He encouraged graduates to think about how technology can help people become better instead of allowing technology to shape the way people think and behave. That same perspective has guided many of Benilde’s own initiatives as the College continues to expand its use of artificial intelligence.
Last year, Benilde introduced the country’s first AI-powered school chatbot, giving prospective students and families immediate access to admissions information in English and Filipino. The chatbot serves as another way for people to connect with the College, while admissions teams continue to build and review its knowledge base to keep the information accurate and relevant.
The launch formed part of Benilde’s broader vision of becoming a School of the Future. During the IGNITE event, faculty members, administrators, and staff explored how artificial intelligence could support teaching, learning, and campus operations. The roadmap focused on preparing people alongside technology through digital transformation, AI literacy, and continuous learning. That same balance between technology and human judgment has also shaped conversations beyond the classroom.
During Benilde’s roundtable discussion on AI in global affairs, diplomats, educators, and industry leaders examined how artificial intelligence is changing international relations, policymaking, and governance. The discussion looked at issues such as bias, misinformation, regulation, and accountability, reminding students that technological progress also carries ethical responsibilities.
Quintos shared a similar view in his commencement address as he spoke about Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. “AI should serve humanity and not dominate it,” he said. “We must fashion the use of AI around guiding principles and an ethical, moral code, because technology is far from being morally neutral.”
The speech placed ethics alongside innovation instead of treating them as separate conversations. It invited graduates to think about the choices people make when they design, develop, and apply new technologies. For Quintos, those choices begin with qualities that no machine can fully possess.
“The human virtues of Empathy, Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Patience, Gratitude, Prudence, Fortitude, Integrity, Fairness, Forgiveness, Balance, Faith, Hope, and Love are universal qualities of humans,” he said. He described these virtues as values that lie at the heart of a Lasallian education.
Those ideas have also surfaced in Benilde’s conversations about creativity. During the forum on filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s legacy, artists, educators, and students explored the role of empathy, imagination, and collaboration in creative work as artificial intelligence becomes more common across the creative industries. The discussion centered on the experiences, emotions, and relationships that shape storytelling and artistic expression.
Benilde carried that same message into another commencement ceremony earlier this year, when Google Philippines Country Marketing Manager and Benilde alumna Gabby Palacios encouraged graduates to dream boldly while staying grounded in purpose. She spoke about using technology to open new possibilities while continuing to value curiosity, relationships, and the uniquely human qualities that guide meaningful work.
Together, these conversations point to a common direction. Benilde continues to embrace new technologies while encouraging students to develop the judgment, creativity, empathy, and sense of purpose that allow those technologies to create a positive impact.
Quintos also turned his attention to the workplace, where artificial intelligence is beginning to take on tasks once performed only by people.
He spoke about the rise of AI employees and digital workers that now appear alongside human employees in some organizations. Companies value these systems for their speed and efficiency, yet Quintos reminded graduates that technology still depends on human judgment.
Drawing from research by Boston University and the Boston Consulting Group, he described how managers became less likely to catch errors when they believed AI had produced the work. The study showed how easy it is to place too much confidence in technology and overlook the responsibility that still belongs to people.
Quintos made it clear that he was not dismissing AI. “It is a wonderful technology. It is amazing. And, it can help us. But, there is another side to AI we must also consider… That’s why we humans need to control it.”
The discussion echoed Benilde’s own approach to digital transformation. The College has consistently presented AI as a tool that works alongside people, whether in classrooms, student services, research, or industry collaborations. Technology expands what people can do, while human judgment continues to guide how it is used.
Quintos then shifted from reflection to practical advice, offering four ways graduates can prepare for a future shaped by artificial intelligence. The first was to build AI literacy.
“Start there,” he said after encouraging graduates to begin using tools such as ChatGPT in their daily work. “You do not need to become a computer programmer. But, you must learn how to use AI for your daily tasks.”
Benilde has already begun creating opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to become more confident in using artificial intelligence. The IGNITE initiative introduced a roadmap that includes AI literacy alongside digital transformation, helping the College build the knowledge and skills needed to work with emerging technologies. The AI-powered chatbot also gives prospective students an opportunity to interact with AI through a practical service designed to answer questions and improve access to information.
Quintos’ second piece of advice focused on human skills. “Sharpen your critical thinking skills,” he said. He encouraged graduates to strengthen their people skills and build meaningful relationships. Those qualities continue to shape learning across Benilde’s academic community.
The Miyazaki forum explored how empathy, imagination, and collaboration remain at the heart of creative work. The Global Affairs roundtable examined diplomacy, negotiation, and responsible governance in an AI-driven world. Together, these conversations encouraged students to understand technology while continuing to develop the human qualities that allow them to work with others, make thoughtful decisions, and respond to complex situations.
Quintos also encouraged graduates to gain real-world experience. “Getting immersed in real world endeavors, like completing internships, being involved hands on with a project, getting mentored in an apprenticeship, or being part of a team that solves actual business problems, never goes out of style,” he said. These experiences develop skills and perspectives that AI cannot replace. That advice resonates with Benilde’s emphasis on experiential learning.
The Benilde Hub for Innovation, or HiFi, continues to support innovators as they develop ideas into practical solutions. One example is AIMHI, an AI-powered construction application that grew through the College’s startup incubation program before reaching industry partners. Projects like these give students and innovators the opportunity to work with emerging technologies while solving real challenges beyond the classroom.
Quintos’ final piece of advice was to keep learning. “Technology is changing very rapidly,” he said. Continuous learning includes developing practical skills alongside the human qualities that technology cannot replace, he added.
That mindset has become part of Benilde’s ongoing direction as it continues to invest in innovation, digital learning, and industry partnerships. The College’s long-standing status as the country’s sole HEI recognized as an Apple Distinguished School and its continued efforts to introduce new technologies into teaching and student services point to a learning environment that evolves alongside the industries its graduates will enter.
As he closed his address, Quintos shared advice that former United States President Barack Obama once gave his daughters. “Be kind. Be useful.” He returned to those four words throughout his closing remarks, encouraging graduates to care for others, contribute to society, and make a difference wherever life takes them.
The message brought his entire speech together. Artificial intelligence will continue to advance. New technologies will continue to reshape the way people live and work. Through it all, the qualities that make people thoughtful, compassionate, creative, and responsible will continue to shape how those technologies improve lives.
For Benilde’s newest graduates, those lessons did not begin on commencement day. They have been part of the College’s conversations in classrooms, forums, innovation spaces, and community partnerships as students learned to combine technical knowledge with purpose, curiosity with empathy, and innovation with service.
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
