AI taking call centre agents’ jobs, source says

Jamaican call centre agents are being warned to brace themselves for a wave of job cuts as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes the preferred tool for handling customer service in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

One call centre has already begun replacing agents with an automated system, a decision expected to impact hundreds of jobs in the coming weeks. A source at the company revealed that the AI tool has been in development for months and is now being rolled out to handle common customer queries.

"When customers call, they'll now be speaking with an automated system, not a live person. The AI uses key terms to generate generic responses," the source said, explaining that the changes stem from client dissatisfaction with human agents.

"The clients wanted a tool that could improve customer satisfaction. They felt that agents weren't always professional, especially when dealing with irate customers. Now, this AI tool will provide consistent responses and remove the human element entirely," the source said. The decision is already reducing staff numbers dramatically.

"One line of business that used to employ 500 agents is being phased down to 200. They're keeping some positions for escalations and fraud cases, but most agents are being let go," the source said.

The impact extends beyond customer service representatives. Workforce management teams are also being cut, with their roles outsourced to the Philippines. Employees in these positions have been told they can either resign, accept demotions, or wait for redeployment, a prospect the source described as unlikely.

Veteran trade unionist Senator Lambert Brown confirmed that automation and AI are reshaping the workforce in Jamaica's BPO sector.

"Many tasks currently done by human beings are being taken over by technology," he said. "This isn't just about customer service; automation is impacting roles in areas like accounting, and the technology is improving all the time." Brown emphasised the need for workers to adapt.

"People need to reskill and retrain. The jobs of today won't be the jobs of tomorrow. This has been happening globally for years, and now it's hitting home. Technology is here, and it's only going to grow," he said.

Meanwhile, employees still holding on to their jobs face additional challenges. Those hired to work remotely during the pandemic are being abruptly ordered back to the office.

"Many of these workers live in rural areas and have built their lives around working from home. Now they're being told to uproot everything with no warning," the source said. "It's clear the company wants them to resign voluntarily so they don't have to pay redundancy packages."

"These companies aren't spending money on proper training or fair compensation. That's why they're not seeing the results they want. Instead of fixing those issues, they're shipping jobs overseas or replacing us with AI," the source added.

Brown warned that the AI trend could significantly increase unemployment in Jamaica.

"The loss of jobs is going to be significant. Workers need to prepare for the future and think beyond traditional roles. This is part of a global shift, and Jamaica isn't immune.