MANILA—Few countries depend as much on outsourcing as the English-speaking Philippines, and few industries might be as vulnerable to automation.
In one scenario, artificial intelligence slows hiring rates at call centers as people get used to doing things like managing their bank accounts online or troubleshooting their vacuum cleaners with chat assistants. The economy takes a dive as the broader $23-billion-a-year business-outsourcing industry—nearly one-tenth of the country’s output—slowly evaporates.
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