Rise of the Machines: Philippine Outsourcing Industry Braces for AI

Rise of the Machines: Philippine Outsourcing Industry Braces for AI
A call center agent talks to a client in the U.S. as she works the overnight shift in Manila's Makati financial district Feb. 6, 2012. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo
|Updated:

MANILA–The outsourcing industry in the Philippines, which has dethroned India as the country with the most call centers in the world, is worried that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will eat into the $23 billion sector.

AI-powered translators could dilute the biggest advantage the Philippines has, the wide use of English, an industry meeting was told this week. Other AI applications could take over process-driven jobs.