YGG at ACTAI APAC: Where Changemakers Pioneering the Future Converge
YGG co-founder Beryl Li and YGG Future of Work (FoW) Head Trish Rosal attended the ACTAI APAC Summit held on February 5–9, 2025, on the scenic shores of Pangulasian Island, Philippines.
ACTAI events are invite-only gatherings designed to catalyze innovation. They bring together a select group of influential figures — including entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, artists and athletes — creating an environment to spark collaborations that can drive the next wave of technological breakthroughs.
Building on the momentum of FoW and the recent release of the Metaverse Filipino Worker (MFW) short film, ACTAI APAC was a key opportunity for YGG to contribute to the broader conversation on harnessing Web3 and AI for societal benefit.
Readiness for the AI Age
ACTAI’s return to the Philippines, its second visit since 2023, coincides with a defining moment in YGG’s journey. In October 2024, YGG expanded beyond gaming with the launch of its Future of Work (FoW) vertical. With Trish Rosal at the helm, FoW has since enabled YGG to support a wider range of financially empowering applications of Web3 within its ecosystem.
“What we want to do with Future of Work is remove the barriers so it’s no longer about being Western or Eastern or Filipino,” said Trish in an interview conducted for this article. “But wherever you are, you can be the best of who you authentically are and participate in the global economy at the same time.”
Over the years, big tech companies have often outsourced labor to Filipino workers, particularly the large-scale content moderation needed to keep platforms like Facebook, X, and TikTok functional. Much of this work involves providing human feedback to refine these platforms’ AI-driven censorship algorithms.
However, as AI models become more advanced, these jobs will also demand more advanced skills. Reflecting on her experience at ACTAI APAC, Beryl posed an important question: “If we upskill Filipinos to be ready for the AI age, what are we upskilling them to?”
Filipino Talent at the Forefront
On the first night of the week-long event, an intimate screening of MFW allowed ACTAI’s guests to witness a series of true stories told by members of the YGG Pilipinas community who have been able to access new opportunities in Web3 and participate in the global decentralized digital economy without having to leave their home in the Philippines. To introduce the short film to the group, Beryl and Trish were joined on Pangulasian by Emfarsis Director Leah Callon-Butler, who wrote, narrated and directed the film.
The event was deeply emotional as viewers were moved by the heartwarming stories of determination and ambition, a poignant reminder of their privilege and drive to create better opportunities that help break down economic barriers. This set the stage for ACTAI APAC’s broader theme — AI’s role in creating meaningful change for humanity.
Founded by renowned investor Bill Tai, ACTAI Global is a community of athletes, conservationists, technologists, artists, and innovators focused on using technology as a force for good. ACTAI’s international events and startup competitions, such as the Extreme Tech Challenge, have supported numerous companies including the now popular graphic design tool Canva.
ACTAI Ventures, the venture fund co-founded by Bill Tai and Amanda Terry in 2021, has also invested in Web3 projects like OLA GG and Metagood and AI companies like Gigaverse.
From Gaming to Social Responsibility
During the main programming for the ACTAI APAC Summit, Beryl participated in a talk titled “How Web3 and AI Are Redefining Fun in Gaming, Entertainment, and Community Engagement.” She explained how YGG stands at the intersection of these emerging technologies, joining Mootiez co-founder and former Animoca Brands COO Arnoldo Concepcion, Metagood co-founder and ACTAI Ventures Managing Partner Amanda Terry, FlickPlay CEO Pierina Merino, and moderator CoinDesk Startup & PitchFest Lead Paula Taylor.
During her talk, Beryl touched on the integration of Onchain Guilds into YGG’s questing platform, the Guild Advancement Program (GAP), and the potential applications of AI that YGG is looking to explore. GAP quests enable the YGG community to earn rewards while exploring new games and projects in the YGG ecosystem. With Onchain Guilds merged into the platform, YGG is able to refine its understanding of the community’s interests and skills, allowing it to connect guilds with economic opportunities best suited to their verifiable expertise.
“The social graph is the most important piece here,” said Beryl during her talk. “If you have these social graphs, you know what games you play, how much you make in gaming, how long you’ve been a gamer, all these details. Once you have this, you might get access to new, uncategorized nodes. There’s a lot of things you can build on top of the social graph.”
For Beryl, human input is crucial to technologies like AI. Participating in FoW quests has given members of the YGG community first-hand experience serving as the “humans in the loop” the AI ecosystem will need to continue its upward trajectory.
“I think all companies will have to be AI companies,” said Beryl during her talk. “With blockchain technology, it allows for certain things to happen above AI.”
Other exclusive sessions at the summit include:
- A fireside chat on the state of the AI revolution featuring Bill Tai and Carolina Casas Forga of Sangha Capital
- An in-depth look into the onchain RPG Gigaverse, delivered by co-founder Matt Sorum, former drummer for the legendary hard rock band Guns N’ Roses
- The ACTAI Global AI Tech Competition, judged by Google Maps founder Lars Rasmussen, ACMobility CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, Dispersion Capital founder Patrick Chang, Ayala Land VP Mariana Zobel de Ayala, and 26North Managing Director Neel Joshi
As FoW continues to level the playing field through AI and other new technologies converging with Web3, many Filipinos will also be able to participate in how it develops into the future. AI and Web3 are the future of work. YGG stands at the forefront of this movement, calling on the rest of the world to follow its lead.
Watch the Metaverse Filipino Worker film: MFW.Life
