Firms to do a way with call centre agents as AI rules

IF you are working in the call centre space your job is likely to be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence agents next year, a concern that is putting thousands on the edge.

Evolving technology like the inclusion of technology models that understand different languages will only move to fast-track the transition.

With the customer care and call centre jobs perceived as short-term work, players in the technology space say that the cost of training new staff now and then will spur the uptake of newer, faster Pawa IT Solutions CEO and head of product Oscar Limoke said there has been a high turnover of people at the call centres further raising the cost of training new staff who leave after a few years.

“Because again, call agents or human agents, no one wants to keep receiving calls and just doing chats every day. It’s not a very progressive career choice. So of course, you don’t start a career and say, I just want to be doing calls every day, five years,” Limoke explained.

“This constant churn increases training costs and disrupts service quality.”

According to a new report by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and digital platforms are set to displace millions of workers in Kenya over the next decade.

The study warns that unless urgent measures are taken, nearly 40 per cent of jobs in key sectors—including manufacturing, agriculture, and services—could be wiped out by 2035.

Pawa IT Solutions, a company that develops conversational AI agents, says that low-skilled and repetitive jobs are the most vulnerable.

In recent months, the open AI chatbot ChatGPT has made its way into courtrooms, classrooms, hospitals, and everywhere in between.

With it has come speculation about AI’s impact on jobs. In manufacturing, robotic automation is replacing workers in assembly lines, particularly in textile and food processing factories.

Meanwhile, AI-driven chatbots and customer service tools are reducing the need for human agents in banks, call centers, and retail businesses.

Limoke notes that to many people, A.I. feels like a ticking time bomb, sure to explode their work. But to some, the threat of A.I. isn’t abstract.

They can already feel its effects. “AI will never replace the need for human interaction and conversation.

Let’s just stop there. So in fact, there’s a report I was reading where it says 75 per cent of customer engagements, they want to speak to a human in the first instance,” said Limoke.

Mark Menhennet, a consultant at Client Contact Centre, contends that while chatbots improve efficiency, they won’t replace human customer service—especially for complex or emotionally sensitive interactions where empathy and problem-solving skills are essential. Instead, they work alongside human agents to improve service quality.

Kenya has recently shown a real interest in chatbot technology, evidenced by the fact that most organisations increasingly see it as a fast and effective way of enhancing the customer experience and customer engagement and cutting costs.

“With the increasing customer expectations and all those things, one of the ways you engage customers is by speaking to them. But we only have as much human capital and capacity to do that. So conversational agents are a component businesses can incorporate into their operations to allow them to converse with their customers and prospects in a human-like style,” said Limoke.

Pawa IT Solutions CEO and Head of Product Oscar Limoke said there has been a high turnover of people at the call center, further raising the cost of training new staff who leave after a few years.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, advancements in AI and information processing alone are projected to displace 9 million jobs by 2030, exceeding any other technological trend.

Experts from Hosting, a web hosting company, say that the global artificial intelligence market is projected to grow from $184 billion (Sh 23.8 trillion) in 2024 to $826.7 billion (Sh 106.8 trillion) by 2030.

The experts say that when automation swallows up jobs, it often comes for customer service roles first. Most businesses are rapidly adopting these technological changes to automate tasks and enhance efficiency. They argue that between 2025 and 2026, jobs in data entry and basic administrative roles, up to 90 per cent of these jobs, will be automated, possibly leading to job losses.

For customer service operatives by the year 2026, AI-powered virtual assistants may handle 50 per cent of routine inquiries, cutting response times from hours to seconds.

In the financial services by 2030, about 35-40 per cent of accounting, financial analysis, and risk assessment processes are projected for automation by 2030.