Filipinos embrace artificial intelligence (AI) in customer service but remain wary about replacing human interaction, according leading software and services provider Amdocs.
“Fifty-five percent (55%) of Filipino consumers perceive communications service providers (CSPs) using AI agents as ‘futuristic and innovative,’” said Amdocs in a news release, citing its recent global study “Rethinking Brand and Customer Experience in the Agentic Era.”
The study said that “fifty-two percent (52%) of Filipino consumers said they would prefer interacting with personal AI agents, versus 38% who would rather keep their interactions solely with human agents,” a figure notably higher than the global average of 45%.
This trend underscores the rising demand for AI systems that are professional, empathetic, and capable of offering quick resolutions.
However, while Filipinos embrace innovation, a significant portion remains cautious.
“Forty-one percent (41%) of consumers also express concerns that AI agents could be used primarily for cost-saving purposes,” pointing to apprehensions that AI advancements may come at the expense of human jobs.
The study also sheds light on Filipino consumers’ high expectations of AI interactions.
“Eighty-six percent (86%) of consumers in the Philippines expect a high level of empathy from AI agents,” compared to 43% of businesses globally, and similar expectations hold for professionalism, quick resolutions, and first-time issue handling.
Additionally, “forty-seven percent (47%) of consumers expressed interest in customizing their AI agent’s characteristics,” reflecting a desire for more tailored, human-like interactions.
Gil Rosen, Chief Marketing Officer at Amdocs, said aligning AI personas with customer expectations is important.
“Each brand interaction with a customer via AI agents should be seen through the paradigm of brand, context, and customer… It’s a question every brand must address because as AI agents evolve, this will fundamentally redefine how businesses interact with their customers and workforce across all channels,” Rosen said.
The report, “Rethinking Brand and Customer Experience in the Agentic Era,” was commissioned by Amdocs in collaboration with McCann Tech agency and Coleman Parkes. The study explores the impact on brand identity as consumers interact with generative AI-based agents for customer care and sales. It includes survey, interviews and focus groups of 120 CSP leaders and 7,025 consumers aged 18 to 69 in 14 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia, including 501 in the Philippines.
The findings present a clear opportunity for service-intensive industries like communications and financial services to rethink their strategies in the evolving agentic era, where AI agents are becoming more than tools, now becoming an essential extension of a brand’s identity.
