It is with great pleasure to welcome you to the 18th NIGS Research Symposium (NIGSCON 2023) with the theme, “40 Years and Counting – Facing the Challenge of Artificial Knowledge in Geoscientific Research”. Since the first NIGS Research Symposium in 1998, our in-house research conference, dubbed NIGSCON, has stayed true to its commitment to keeping us abreast of the latest developments in geoscience research. This year’s theme highlights yet another hot topic as the research community moves forward to exploiting big data with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Various AI-powered tools are already within our reach—from simple photo editing to the more complex creation of computer programs and literature. One that has particularly taken us by storm early this year is ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM) chatbot that generates text by collating huge amounts of content from the Internet. With just a few lines of prompt, a narrative work or even an entire book can be easily generated in a matter of seconds. This powerful AI tool has already disrupted various sectors, particularly academia, as concerns arise on the integrity of academic and research outputs. Late last year, Elsevier, a leading publisher of scientific information, made history by listing ChatGPT as a journal author. While such a move is a significant step forward for AI in scientific publishing, other top academic publishers do not share a similar view as fundamental requirements for authorship are not met.

Issues aside, there is no doubt that AI-enabled technologies and ML systems have significantly enhanced our capability and efficiency to process and analyze large datasets, providing a broader perspective of the Earth’s processes. Image analysis and quantitative modeling have become part of our research methods and will continue to be useful in elucidating complex geological patterns, exploring mineral and energy resources, and modeling natural hazards. With this inevitable leap towards AI, I leave this question for us to ponder—What is the future of a geoscientist in this era of AI? We reflect on this as we get to know a bit more about the potential geoscience applications of AI in this two-day conference.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate the Organizing Committee led by Dr. Mario Aurelio, our OIC-Deputy Director for Research and Development, for another successful NIGSCON. Kudos to everyone who contributed to this event—University Research Associates, faculty, student volunteers, administrative staff, and partner institutions—thank you for all the hard work and support.

I wish everyone a pleasant experience and thank you for being part of this year’s NIGSCON.

Padayon at mabuhay ang mga siyentista ng bayan!