Properly-deployed AI highlights where human workers have the most to contribute
Artificial intelligence (AI) does not replace workers, it replaces tasks, Carl Nicholas Ng, SPi Global’s chief operations officer, told delegates attending the 11th International Innovation Summit in Manila earlier this month. As part of his presentation at the event – organized on an annual basis by the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) – he conceded that while certain core BPO functions, such as typing, could in future be undertaken by AI systems, the technology would also bring into focus those areas where humans have the most to contribute.
Echoing his sentiments, Joan Yao, vice president of Kickstart Ventures, a Makati-based venture capital firm, said machines could not replace humans, with businesses best advised to deploy new technology as a means of creating social benefits, while delivering a healthy and safe environment for employees and guaranteeing them equality of opportunity in every aspect of their work lives. The summit, attended by senior industry figures and academics, later turned its attention to reskilling / upskilling employees as a way of ensuring the industry continues to prosper and develop in a positive way.
