{"id":1937,"date":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937"},"modified":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","slug":"i-feel-like-i-dug-my-own-grave-the-workers-caught-in-the-ai-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I feel like I dug my own grave&#8217;: The workers caught in the AI transition"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div data-block=\"headline\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\"><\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"File picture of an employee speaking on the phone as she works in a Manila call centre.\n\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d916\/live\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Philippines is known as the call centre capital of the world<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"byline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"single-byline\" class=\"ssrcss-sevsa1-ContributorContainer ee66fvo3\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dt4z-ContributorInfo ee66fvo0\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">By<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-nsjd43-TextContributorName epw3ir01\">Suranjana Tewari<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dqo7s5-ContributorDetails ee66fvo2\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1m5444d-Text ee66fvo4\">Asia Business Correspondent<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1m5444d-Text ee66fvo4\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Reporting from<\/span>Manila<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"metadata\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"metadata\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-08-04T22:10:00.638Z\">50 minutes ago<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">For 15 years, single mother Lisa made a living from content writing.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She began writing straight out of college, freelanced for years and eventually followed a path taken by many young Filipinos: joining a multinational in the country&#8217;s booming outsourcing industry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Lisa says she never felt the need to use artificial intelligence (AI) in her work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I can say that I am able to do my job, I meet deadlines. In my opinion, there is no need for [AI],&#8221; she told the BBC. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Eight months into her latest role, and one month before the position was due to become permanent, she was made redundant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In the months before, Lisa says a public relations agency had been tasked with producing AI-generated material that she and her colleagues were asked to edit. She says her skills were used to train the AI on the company writing style.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I feel like I dug my own grave,&#8221; she says. &#8220;We were the ones who trained the artificial intelligence that replaced us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Lisa, not her real name, is one of several former outsourcing employees the BBC spoke to who asked to remain anonymous. They signed confidentiality agreements in return for severance pay, and fear that speaking publicly could hurt their chances of finding work in an industry which has a small network.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Their experiences offer an insight into a question confronting emerging economies like the Philippines: what happens when AI begins to automate the jobs that helped lift millions of people into the middle classes?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"Building-an-industry\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">Building an industry<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Every evening around 5pm, streams of workers wearing company lanyards spill out of high-rise offices in the district of Cubao in Manila.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It&#8217;s one of several areas of the capital where multinational companies have premises \u2013 providing all sorts of outsourcing work including call centres, accounting, software development and marketing copy services for clients thousands of miles away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">For over two decades, these business districts have symbolised one of the Philippines&#8217; biggest economic success stories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Beginning in the early 2000s, the country was promoted as an English-speaking alternative to India for what&#8217;s called business process outsourcing (BPO).<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Successive governments offered tax incentives, invested in infrastructure and encouraged multinational companies to set up large operations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Global groups like Accenture, Concentrix and Teleperformance built sprawling campuses, employing hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Today, the outsourcing industry employs roughly 1.9 million people, and generates $40bn (\u00a330.1bn) in revenues every year, accounting for about 10% of the Philippines&#8217; economy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But experts say the industry is disproportionately vulnerable to the impact of AI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-13zx0of-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Call centre workers waiting for the bus after their shift\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/3ad2\/live\/8c83ce70-8650-11f1-9861-cbf447a07d5e.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"863.9372138652715\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The outsourcing industry employs about 1.9 million people in the Philippines<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The International Labour Organization estimates that 12.7 million Filipinos &#8211; more than one in four workers &#8211; are employed in occupations exposed to generative AI, the highest share in South East Asia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The organisation expects many roles to change rather than disappear but the types of service jobs that people do in the Philippines leaves it particularly at risk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Jack Madrid, president of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), admits that AI is being adopted by the sector. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">More than two-thirds of IBPAP&#8217;s members are already running AI pilots, he says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Agentic AI has the potential to automate at a much more accelerated pace,&#8221; Madrid says. &#8220;Obviously, there&#8217;s a layer of jobs that are automatable or have been automated.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But he adds that the vast majority of affected workers have been redeployed within the same organisations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Madrid says any weakness in hiring reflects more than the impact of AI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen a slowdown in investment decisions on whether certain job functions or processes should be offshored,&#8221; he says, pointing to slower global demand and uncertainty over how companies will ultimately deploy the technology.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Even so, he acknowledges the challenge. &#8220;We cannot do enough to be prepared,&#8221; he says. &#8220;The importance of reskilling&#8221; cannot be overstated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"The-pressure-to-automate\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">The pressure to automate<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mary, another former content writer whose name we&#8217;ve changed, says her employer encouraged the use of AI as a productivity tool.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Instead of making her job easier, she says it created additional responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;We had to edit more, fact-check more because the data AI produced was inaccurate,&#8221; she says. &#8220;Technically it was more work for us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Like Lisa, she was later made redundant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Companies are under pressure to implement AI, to reduce costs and increase productivity, experts say. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Teleperformance, the world&#8217;s largest call centre operator and one of the Philippines&#8217; biggest private employers, has said AI offers an opportunity to augment rather than replace its workforce.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The company expects AI to handle routine interactions while human agents move into more complex roles. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Teleperformance has also said it plans to retrain employees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Accenture has similarly said that generative AI will reshape almost every job rather than eliminate positions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The firm has promised to invest billions of dollars in AI capabilities and workforce training.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Concentrix &#8211; which is the biggest outsourcing firm in the Philippines &#8211; says its AI systems should remain under human oversight and has committed to training employees in the new technology.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Some Filipino managers are uneasy about AI and want to slow down adoption, according to Paul Quintos, from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">They are concerned about how much of the domestic workforce might be displaced.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;But there&#8217;s tremendous pressure from foreign clients to adopt AI,&#8221; he says. &#8220;It&#8217;s a major cost-cutting measure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Philippine outsourcing companies compete directly with rivals in India and elsewhere for contracts from multinational corporations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Increasingly, those clients expect suppliers not only to provide cheaper labour, but also to integrate AI into the services they deliver.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-10qf45o-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Reporter talking to employees who asked to remain anonymous\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1680\/cpsprodpb\/d08f\/live\/2729c2f0-8650-11f1-9861-cbf447a07d5e.jpg\" width=\"1680\" height=\"945.1263537906136\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The BBC spoke to employees who say they trained AI before being let go<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Despite hundreds of billions of dollars being invested globally in AI, Quintos says there is still limited evidence about how much productivity many workplace tools actually deliver.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;There is a term called &#8216;AI washing&#8217;,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Some layoffs are presented as being driven by AI when companies are in fact responding to weaker demand or slowing economic conditions, Quintos says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Attributing redundancies to AI, he adds, can make restructuring appear like technological progress rather than a response to market conditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"The-next-transition\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">The next transition<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Labour groups have told the BBC that existing employment laws in the Philippines govern redundancy but offer little guidance on how companies should introduce AI into workplaces or consult employees over its use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Philippines&#8217; outsourcing sector is also non-unionised, leaving many workers with little formal say over how new technologies are deployed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The government says that it, and the private sector have a responsibility to retrain workers, and risks falling behind competitors like India and Singapore. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;To be completely honest, I think we&#8217;re slightly behind. We have to catch up,&#8221; says Leandro Aguirre of the Philippines Department of Information and Communications Technology.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;We have to double our efforts to put our people in a position where they will not be displaced but actually thrive in this growing AI race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The government has committed to upskilling more than 300,000 outsourcing workers, but Aguirre acknowledges that the Philippines may need to rethink the economic model that helped make it an outsourcing centre.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;We relied heavily on foreign direct investment,&#8221; he says. &#8220;But I think we also need to focus on local talent and local companies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The ambition, he says, is to build home-grown AI companies capable of creating higher-value jobs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Aguirre rejects calls for sweeping new AI legislation, arguing that existing labour, privacy and consumer protection laws can be adapted more quickly through regulatory guidance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;The benefits of AI have to trickle down to people,&#8221; he says. &#8220;It can&#8217;t just benefit employers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">For more than 20 years, the Philippines built one of the world&#8217;s most successful outsourcing industries by selling the skills of its people to multinational companies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">AI may not end that model, but it is certainly changing it, and risks leaving some workers behind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><i class=\"ssrcss-xbdn93-ItalicText e5tfeyi2\">Additional reporting by Jaltson Akkanath Chummar and Regine Cabato<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"topicList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"topic-list\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nj9heb-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pfbb52-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-w8zanw-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/c4nrdv135zet\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">International Business<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/ce1qrvleleqt\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Artificial intelligence<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/cnx753je2r4t\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Philippines<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesImage caption, The Philippines is known as the call centre capital of the world BySuranjana Tewari Asia Business Correspondent,\u00a0Reporting fromManila Published 50 minutes ago For 15 years, single mother Lisa made a living from content writing. She began writing straight out of college, freelanced for years and eventually followed a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>&#039;I feel like I dug my own grave&#039;: The workers caught in the AI transition - Asia Newscast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;I feel like I dug my own grave&#039;: The workers caught in the AI transition - Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesImage caption, The Philippines is known as the call centre capital of the world BySuranjana Tewari Asia Business Correspondent,\u00a0Reporting fromManila Published 50 minutes ago For 15 years, single mother Lisa made a living from content writing. She began writing straight out of college, freelanced for years and eventually followed a [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d916\/live\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"&#8216;I feel like I dug my own grave&#8217;: The workers caught in the AI transition\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937\"},\"wordCount\":1381,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/1024\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/d916\\\/live\\\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937\",\"name\":\"'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition - Asia Newscast\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/1024\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/d916\\\/live\\\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/1024\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/d916\\\/live\\\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/1024\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/d916\\\/live\\\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1937#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"&#8216;I feel like I dug my own grave&#8217;: The workers caught in the AI transition\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Asia Newscast\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Asia Newscast\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/anc-logo-v3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/anc-logo-v3.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":853,\"caption\":\"Asia Newscast\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition - Asia Newscast","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition - Asia Newscast","og_description":"Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesImage caption, The Philippines is known as the call centre capital of the world BySuranjana Tewari Asia Business Correspondent,\u00a0Reporting fromManila Published 50 minutes ago For 15 years, single mother Lisa made a living from content writing. She began writing straight out of college, freelanced for years and eventually followed a [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937","og_site_name":"Asia Newscast","article_published_time":"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d916\/live\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"&#8216;I feel like I dug my own grave&#8217;: The workers caught in the AI transition","datePublished":"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937"},"wordCount":1381,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d916\/live\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937","name":"'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition - Asia Newscast","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d916\/live\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg","datePublished":"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d916\/live\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d916\/live\/b72ddec0-8648-11f1-a268-d919c0699520.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1937#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"&#8216;I feel like I dug my own grave&#8217;: The workers caught in the AI transition"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/","name":"Asia Newscast","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#organization","name":"Asia Newscast","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/anc-logo-v3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/anc-logo-v3.jpg","width":1280,"height":853,"caption":"Asia Newscast"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1937"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1938,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937\/revisions\/1938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}