Artificial intelligence is poised to displace far more jobs than it creates, making rapid workforce retraining imperative for the Philippines, according to Taiwanese AI expert Kai-Fu Lee. Lee said the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is not the only sector vulnerable to AI, as many digital and cognitive roles across various fields are also at risk. “Anything digital, anything in a closed environment, AI can do better than people,” Lee told The STAR, adding that rapid AI adoption would also affect banking, insurance, entertainment, software engineering, content creation and news production. The accelerated adoption of AI has prompted the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to lower its 2028 growth targets, now expecting revenues between $43.3 billion and $50.5 billion and employment between 1.85 million and 2.14 million full-time workers, down from a previous roadmap projecting $59 billion in revenues and 2.5 million full-time employees. Lee said the Philippines remains well positioned to adapt, stressing that workers do not need advanced programming skills but must learn to direct AI systems, ask the right questions and oversee outputs. “It’s no different than talking to a chatbot,” he said. Lee warned that AI-related jobs are still unlikely to match the scale of those displaced. For Singapore-based Ikhlas Capital, the rise of AI has changed how it identifies companies with potential to scale, with chairman Nazir Razak saying, “There’s no limit