Tech giant helps academe address automation threat

CEBU, Philippines - Digital thought leader and professional service provider Accenture is reaching out to Philippine education authorities to help address the threat brought about by automation, especially with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics.

Accenture Digital lead in the Philippines and managing director JP Palpallatoc bared that the global technology giant is offering its hands to help the academe to move up the educational platform in order to seize the opportunity rather than be affected by the risks of its movement.

"We are helping the Philippines address the risks of automation through education," said Palpallatoc.

Through its active involvement in the IBPAP (IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines), Accenture said the Philippines can veer away from the risks of automation and robotics if the IBPAP roadmap 2022 will be seriously implemented.

The industry blueprint charts the future of the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry for the next six years. It looks into the the different potential growth areas in the sector.

By end 2022 it is projected that the Philippines will be able to provide highly skilled professionals across the fields of expertise.

Palpallatoc maintains that the competition between human beings and the technology-run wizards is on, but AI and robots can only be a threat if human talents are not upgraded, and evolved with the demand of digital economy.

Based on the 2017 Accenture technology forecast, AI is coming of age, tackling problems both big and small by making interactions — simple and smart.

AI is also becoming the new user interface, underpinning the way people transact and interact with systems.

Seventy-nine percent of the Accenture survey respondents agree that AI will revolutionize the way they gain information from and interact with customers.

"AI is taking more sophisticated roles within technology adapting to our needs and wants," he warned, adding that this advancement of technology which could affect some job assignments handled by humans, should be addressed head on.

In order for the machines not to overtake existing jobs handled by humans, there is a dire need to evolve and take constant skill upgradings and be highly flexible, Accenture reiterated.

Thus, the academe has bigger role to play in this transition, and should offer high value professional skills and flexibility of the human capabilities educational platform.

"We should develop individuals who are flexible and agile," said Palpallatoc.

Already, Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) warned companies of the strong entry of automation, which is seen to ultimately substitute mostly a huge chunk of [entry-level ] human function.

"Robotics Process Automation is here. And it is going to take away jobs of those in the lower rank of the ladder," said Jonathan de Luzuriaga, president PSIA.

"We need to look at the impact of emerging technology in the way we do business and in hiring talents to join the industry," said De Luzuriaga. (FREEMAN)