Automation and AI: a threat or an opportunity for Indian and Filipino BPOs?

Automation and AI: a threat or an opportunity for Indian and Filipino BPOs?

India and The Philippines have been the most sought after outsourcing destinations for years, owing to its cost-effectiveness, skilled workforce, and grasp over the English language. But with the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, the implications and impact on human talent has become a significant talking point primarily in the BPO industry.

India, which is still the number one country for business process outsourcing, is set to lose 640,000 low skilled jobs to automation by 2021. While the Philippines, which has the most call centers in the world, is warned that AI can potentially diminish about 45% of the approximately 1.2 million Filipino employees of the BPO industry. On the other hand, automation is also expected to create new jobs that are required to manage mature technology, bringing higher salaries to workers. To get there however, the two Asian nations should ensure that its workforce employed in the sector continues to pick up new skills. They must prove to the world that they have more to offer than just a pool of English-speaking talent.

With the whole outsourcing game rapidly changing:

• How can both India and the Philippines stay relevant and ahead of the competition?
• How can AI and automation provide fresh opportunities for Indian firms (in the Philippines)?
• What can the goverment do to prevent these predicted losses?