Artificial intelligence (AI) is now embedded in nearly every conversation about the future of customer experience (CX). Across Jamaica’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, providers are feeling increasing pressure from client and global market demands to invest in chatbots, automation tools, and analytics platforms. Frankly, it has become table stakes. Yet for many organisations, these investments remain largely superficial. AI is often treated as an add-on, a feature layered onto existing operations, rather than a catalyst for fundamental change. This is an approach that is no longer sustainable if Jamaican outsourcers want to stay in the game.
At its core, this shift is about moving from a traditional, labour-centred delivery model to an integrated, intelligence-driven ecosystem. In this kind of model, AI does not sit at the edges of the organisation. It becomes central to how value is created. It is embedded across processes, from performance analytics to training and quality management. Decisions are informed by real-time data, and technology stacks are continuously optimised with new value-add services and upgrades to technology solutions.
For instance, itel will soon release a new ‘podcast’ feature in our itelligence AI suite that will radically streamline performance management. It formats QA scorecards and feedback as a podcast, as if the agent were sitting down with CX coaches; yet it’s all AI generated, and shared with agents directly after a call, which provides coaching that is timely, targeted and highly personalised.
This continuous innovation has become essential, not because it is ‘nice to have’, but because US businesses will increasingly seek partners who can demonstrate operational and strategic maturity with measurable value creation.
Unfortunately, many regional operators underestimate the scale of this shift. They rebrand their offerings, introduce basic automation, and declare themselves ‘AI-enabled’, while their underlying structures remain largely unchanged.
Incremental adjustments and ‘pilot projects’ are no longer enough, and providers that continue to ‘tinker around the edges’ will struggle to differentiate themselves. The reality is that AI is not simply another technology upgrade. It is forcing a structural shift in how customer experience services are designed, delivered, and sold.
It must be implemented with a clear, strategic approach. If AI and automation are simply used as a call-deflection tool, deployed aggressively to reduce human interaction, the results could be short-term cost savings, but often at the expense of service quality, customer satisfaction, and long-term loyalty.
We believe the future of CX lies in a more deliberate hybrid model, one that balances artificial and human intelligence in a thoughtful way. In our view, an effective model would result in a 20-80 balance, where approximately 20 per cent of resolutions are driven by advanced AI systems, while the other 80 per cent are handled by skilled human professionals, supported and enhanced by technology.
This balance is not arbitrary. It reflects the reality that while AI excels at pattern recognition, data processing, and automation, human agents remain essential for empathy, judgement, complex problem-solving, and relationship management. When properly integrated, AI amplifies these human strengths instead of attempting to replace them.
Yet, achieving this balance requires a fundamental change in how organisations operate. Processes must be redesigned. Performance metrics must evolve. Technology must be unified. Sales and marketing strategies must shift from selling ‘headcount’ to selling intelligence, insight, and outcomes.
The choice before us is clear. We can treat AI as a short-term efficiency tool, or we can embrace it as the foundation for a more intelligent, resilient, and globally competitive business model. The future of Jamaican outsourcing depends on making the right choice, and those that commit to holistic transformation will shape the next phase of the industry.
Yoni Epstein is the founder and CEO of itel, a regional outsourcing firm headquartered in Jamaica.
