Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating more jobs in the Philippine IT-business process management (IT-BPM) sector, according to a survey by the IT Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).
The sector is on track to sustain its roadmap targets, with anticipated revenues of $38 billion and a workforce headcount of 1.82 million in 2024, the group said.
IBPAP president Jack Madrid said at the opening of the two-day International IT-BPM International Summit 2024 that the overall trend indicates that AI is creating new opportunities within the sector.
“There are more call center agents in the US than in the rest of the world. So, if AI is going to affect jobs, it’s the American agents that will be affected first. Where will those jobs go? To the best place that delivers those services—the Philippines or India,” he said.
Madrid said the Philippines is well-positioned to absorb these jobs, but the industry should prepare for the future.
He stressed the importance of upskilling and reskilling the workforce to adapt to the changing demands of the industry.
The IT-BPM sector remains optimistic about its growth prospects. Despite some initial job displacement due to AI last year, the industry saw a net increase in employment.
“We grew 7 percent as a whole industry, with 120,000 new jobs. That is a positive sign,” Madrid said.
He attributed this to the industry’s focus on skills development and its ability to adapt to new technologies.
The IBPAP survey, conducted in June 2024 with responses from 60 plus companies representing 800,000 employees, revealed that the majority of employees whose jobs were impacted by AI were successfully redeployed within their companies.
This indicates that companies are actively investing in retraining and upskilling their workforce to ensure they remain relevant in the age of AI.
