One of the country's largest organizations of business process outsourcing firms, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), maintained that it remains steadfast in upholding its position that Artificial Intelligence will bring about encouraging benefits and opportunities to its stakeholders.

In a statement, CCAP said they continue to reiterate that generative AI generates a positive impact not just on contact center firms but also on the entire Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry.

Based on data from global research firm Everest Group, the sector posted an annual revenue of $29.5 billion in 2023, which accounts for almost 83 percent of the entire IT-BPM industry revenue of $35.5 billion.

The Philippine IT-BPM industry has set an annual revenue target of $59 billion by the year 2028.

The Contact Center Industry is expected to account for about 83 percent of that amount or around $49 billion.

AI, a revenue generator

"We firmly assert that AI will continue to help make our industry more resilient and generate more revenue, contradicting fears of some concerned parties," said CCAP President Mickey Ocampo.

"People may not be fully aware, but AI has already been widely used through the chatbots we encounter online and even through the mobile features and applications we use daily. That usefulness can further strengthen our industry," he added.

Ocampo reiterates that AI could logically boost productivity in the workplace by enabling contact center agents to focus on more important and complex transactions, which could ultimately make the overall experience much better — for agents and customers alike.

In the past several months, several legislators have called on the national government to regulate or even prevent the integration of AI into the IT-BPM industry.

Those include Senators Imee Marcos and Risa Hontiveros — both coming from two opposing political inclinations — who think AI might eliminate jobs.

"Just like how we overcame data privacy challenges years ago, CCAP member companies are continuously re-skilling and upskilling our agents to update and upgrade them to the constantly changing demand of our clients and technology. AI itself will create more jobs related to the engineering, maintenance, and upgrade of AI applications," Ocampo maintained.

Employment in the local contact center sector grew 9.4 percent year-on-year in 2023, exceeding the overall growth rate of the IT-BPM industry of 8.6 percent.

About 1.51 million contact center agents were employed in 2023, accounting for 89 percent of the entire IT-BPM employment of 1.70 million full-time employees (FTEs).

Contact Islands 2024

Thus, CCAP is set to facilitate further discussions about the influence of AI and other significant issues on local call center operations.

The 145-member organization is inviting key leaders and representatives from contact center and business process sector firms, local and national government, the academe, thought leaders, and customer experience officers to the Contact Islands 2024, happening from 24 to 25 July at the Fili Hotel Nustar Cebu in Cebu City.

The annual sectoral conference sets the stage for pivotal discussions about pressing concerns affecting the contact center and business process management sector as AI continues to alter the landscape amid a dynamic global economy and an evolving geopolitical climate.

Contact Islands 2024 is designed to bring about an unparalleled platform for showcasing innovations, highlighting best practices, and moderating dialogues as member companies unite in taking the path towards realizing the IT-BPM industry's 2028 roadmap.