THE Information Technology & Business Process Association (IBPAP) is updating its 2028 industry roadmap to align its goals with the ongoing expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape.
IBPAP, in a statement, said it is collaborating with research powerhouse Everest Group in refreshing the industry roadmap and introducing an ambitious version for 2028.
“The AI landscape is a battleground, demanding a strategic update to align goals with the ever-evolving realities of the Philippine Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector. With a determined focus on upskilling and re-skilling, IBPAP charges forward to achieve ambitious targets for job creation and revenue by 2025,” said IBPAP president and chief executive officer Jack Madrid.
Based on the earlier launched Roadmap 2028, the industry targets to end 2028 with 2.5 million full-time workers and US$59 billion in revenues.
“As the Philippine IT-BPM industry rides the GenAI (Generative AI) wave, the nation is uniquely positioned to seize opportunities. With support from the government, industry visionaries and academia, IBPAP ensures the industry and workforce are not just prepared for the future—they are shaping it,” he said.
Madrid, however, acknowledged that with GenAI’s disruption, “the road ahead is no joyride. But the promise of a thriving IT-BPM sector in the Philippines, navigating the GenAI wave, isn’t just exciting—it’s a journey filled with potential.”
Generative AI refers to a type of artificial intelligence technology that can create new content or data, such as images, text or music, based on patterns it has learned from existing examples.
IBPAP has expressed its commitment to using GenAI to boost competitiveness and workforce productivity in the industry.
“In the Philippine IT-BPM sector, GenAI is not just a supporting act; it is the headline, enhancing employee experiences and elevating service quality to new heights,” the group said.
From low- to mid-complexity services in 2016, Madrid said there has been a swift transition to mid- to high-complexity services by 2023.
“It’s not just about technical skills anymore; it’s a full-scale revolution. Delving into AI applications, mastering data handling and sharpening emotional intelligence and creativity skills are becoming the norm,” the group said.
Growing importance
A study by MIT Sloan attests to the transformative potential of GenAI, revealing a 14 percent boost in productivity for contact center agents using conversational AI assistants, with a significant impact on newer or less-skilled workers.
Recent findings from a McKinsey survey also underscored the growing importance of GenAI in business, with approximately 80 percent of respondents, particularly in the tech sector, expressing familiarity with the technology. Forty percent of these businesses plan to increase their GenAI investments over the next two to three years, foreseeing benefits such as improved productivity, cost optimization, and enhanced business continuity.
In the Philippines, Madrid said the reception of the Philippine workforce on AI is changing.
According to a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, more than half of Filipinos are integrating AI into their daily tasks —which according to Madrid, is a testament to the labor force’s rapid adoption of the changes brought about by GenAI.
Furthermore, more than half of the surveyed Filipinos display optimism that GenAI has the potential to contribute significantly to job creation in the countryside.
“The IT-BPM industry, however, acknowledges the significant disruption that GenAI may bring. As such, the sector is actively addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by GenAI,” he said.
IBPAP formed an AI Council that intends to collaborate with academic institutions and industry associations such as the Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines to enhance the workforce’s skills in programming, data science, data analytics and AI ethics.
IBPAP is an organization composed of 400 members and six partner associations—the Animation Council of the Philippines Inc., Global In-House Center Council Philippines, Contact Center Association of the Philippines, Game Developers Association of the Philippines, Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Software Industry Association. / KOC