BVM Caribbean May

10 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 already employed with news and resources related to Caribbean labor. As such, it considers itself an advocate for positive labor conditions in the region. While the concept of an “AI takeover” might seem far-fetched for the Caribbean, where not many jobs are conducted online to begin with and where many jobs seem as though they could only be carried out by a human, this is actually cause for more concern because the few, apparently stable jobs that could be replaced by AI are highly-skilled and high-earning. For instance, countless jobs in the services sector stand to possibly be replaced by AI. If business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs were to be performed by highly-intelligent AI, as tech experts are suggesting they could, that could mean job losses in the thousands for countries like Jamaica, in which the BPO industry employs hundreds. A dramatic increase in jobs that rely on global digital markets since the onset of the Pandemic also creates more vulnerabilities, as the ECLAC likewise pointed out. Customer service, programming, software development and more could potentially be replaced in the Caribbean, depriving residents of what were once considered stable jobs providing an above-average source of income. However, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. does not believe there is cause for panic just yet. While the ECLAC recommends skills training, which is always a positive in developing a high- quality workforce, Caribbean Employment supports policies that would protect Caribbean workers and ensure companies that operate in the region must employ citizens and residents rather than AI. Developments into the advancement of technology are still ongoing, however, and Caribbean Employment will continue to monitor closely while continuing to assist businesses and jobseekers find the best mutually-beneficial employment matches.