Why 87% of business leaders are sounding the alarm on upskillingâand what it means for the Philippines
A recent MSN report revealed a striking statistic: 87% of business leaders believe AI agents will replace human employees if companies donât act fast to upskill their workforce. This isnât a distant threatâitâs a present-day challenge. AI agents are no longer just chatbots. Theyâre evolving into autonomous systems capable of handling customer service, data analysis, and even decision-making.
For Filipino businessesâespecially MSMEs and BPOsâthis is a pivotal moment. The question isnât whether AI will change the workplace. Itâs whether weâre preparing our people to thrive alongside it.
đ¤ What Are AI Agents, Really?
AI agents are digital coworkers that can:
- Understand and respond to natural language
- Learn from feedback and improve over time
- Execute multi-step tasks with minimal supervision
- Collaborate with humans and other systems
Theyâre already being deployed in HR, finance, logistics, and customer support roles that many Filipinos currently fill.
đ The Risk: Skill Gaps = Job Losses
Without aggressive upskilling, companies may find it easier to replace roles than retrain them. This is especially true for repetitive or rules-based jobs, many of which are common in the Philippinesâ outsourcing and administrative sectors.
As we warned in âAI Is Coming to Take Everything Awayâ, ignoring this shift could lead to mass displacement, widening inequality, and lost competitiveness.
đ The Opportunity: Upskilling as a Competitive Edge
But thereâs good news: companies that invest in upskilling can unlock new value. Workers who learn to collaborate with AI can:
- Handle more complex, creative tasks
- Deliver faster, smarter service
- Innovate new workflows and solutions
- Command higher wages and job security
In âTop Skills Filipinos Must Master in 2025â, we outlined the exact capabilities that will matter mostâlike prompt engineering, digital storytelling, and ethical AI fluency. These arenât just buzzwordsâtheyâre survival skills.
𧰠What Filipino Businesses Must Do Now
- Audit Your Workforce: Identify which roles are vulnerable to AI disruptionâand which can be enhanced by it.
- Launch AI Literacy Programs: From frontline staff to managers, everyone needs a baseline understanding of how AI works.
- Invest in Tool Fluency: Teach employees how to use tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, and Claudeânot just as users, but as collaborators.
- Reward Upskilling: Make learning part of performance reviews, promotions, and pay raises.
- Champion New Collar Jobs: As we explored in âNew Collar Jobs in the Philippinesâ, the future of work isnât about degreesâitâs about adaptability, digital fluency, and real-world problem solving.
đĽ Final Thought: The Future Wonât Wait
AI agents are already reshaping the global workforce. The only question is whether Filipino businesses will treat this as a threat or a chance to lead.
Upskilling isnât optional. Itâs the new currency of survival. Those who invest in people will thrive. Those who donât may soon find their workforce replacedânot by AI, but by competitors who embraced it first.
Letâs not wait to be disrupted. Letâs disruptâwith purpose.
Source: MSN Money â â87% of business leaders think AI agents will replace human employees if companies donât make big moves to upskill their workforceâ
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