Philstar.com
October 30, 2025 | 12:00pm
MANILA, Philippines – The Intersections Communications Inc.(ICI) Group convened leaders from media, creative and technology sectors for its inaugural Digital Day, titled “AI UNLOCKED,” on September 23 at the Ascott Hotel, BGC in Taguig.
The event brought together marketers, agencies and platform partners to explore the practical applications and strategic impact of Artificial Intelligence on the advertising industry.
“AI is here to empower us. Our role as humans is to drive the strategy, the creativity, and the value in the tools that are out there,” said ICI Group COO April Yap as she opened the program.
The conference aimed to equip professionals with actionable insights into AI’s diverse possibilities. The keynote address, “AI as Your Growth Partner,” was delivered by Justine James, CEO and co-founder of Agencio Cloud, who framed AI as a fundamental force in reshaping business and marketing strategies.
A central discussion was a fireside chat featuring ICI Group CEO Gladys Basinillo, Hakuhodo/BCI founder and CEO Gemma Alcantara, and Spotify client partner Allan Sy. The panel offered perspectives from media, creative and technology, focusing on how businesses must adapt to the AI-driven landscape by shifting mindsets and building organizational readiness.
“With many manual tasks now automated, the real value of humans in advertising is in strategy, creativity and synergy,” said Gladys Basinillo. “AI gives us speed and scale, but human intelligence brings context, empathy and innovation.” The event underscored a consistent theme: AI as a tool for human empowerment, not replacement.
Highlighting its own technological advancements, ICI Group featured a presentation by Jona Oboza, Founder and CEO of Acceler8 AI, who shared developments on Connexions, ICI Group’s proprietary AI-powered KOL and KOC technology platform.
Presentations from leading digital platforms Meta, Google and TikTok showcased their latest AI-powered tools for more efficient advertising. The practical applications of AI were further explored by innovation partners from 1CloudHub, Gigil and Echelon, who demonstrated its tangible impact on operations, creative strategy and sports marketing. Capping these discussions, Nathaniel Samiley of the Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines provided a crucial perspective on the importance of responsible AI governance.
In his closing remarks, ICI Group GM Josh Padolina summarized the day’s key learning: “The end goal is not to automate creativity, but instead use AI as an accelerator, collaborator, and multiplier to extend our capabilities and value as planners, marketers, and advertisers.”
The success of the Digital Day was bolstered by collaborations with its partners: GCash, Media Donuts, Spotify, Innity and Philstar.com.
Know more about Intersections on their Facebook Page and Website.
Editor’s Note: This press release from ICI Group is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
