Minister of state in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Seiveright, has sought to calm growing public anxiety about artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential impact on Jamaica’s global services and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Speaking at the official launch of the Portmore Incubator and Linkages Forum at the Portmore Informatics Park on Wednesday, Seiveright said Jamaica’s global digital services sector remains a critical pillar of the economy, employing more than 50,000 Jamaicans, largely young professionals concentrated in and around Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, Montego Bay and Mandeville.

“This sector is not simply about call handling, it earns foreign exchange, builds human capital and connects Jamaica directly with global markets and brands. For many young Jamaicans, it is also a powerful training ground that prepares them for careers across banking, tourism, logistics, technology and entrepreneurship,” said Seiveright as he argued that the technology will transform the sector rather than eliminate it.

The minister emphasised that while AI is rapidly reshaping global service delivery, the narrative that it will wipe out call centres is overstated.

“The hype says AI will eliminate these jobs. The reality is more nuanced,” Seiveright said. “AI will automate routine interactions, but it will elevate the importance of human judgement, complex problem solving, emotional intelligence and trust-building, particularly in high-stakes customer situations,” added Seiveright.

His remarks come amid increasing global discussion about automation within customer service and BPO operations.

According to Deloitte’s 2026 State of AI in the Enterprise study — which surveyed more than 3,200 senior executives across 24 countries — companies are rapidly expanding worker access to AI tools and preparing to deploy more autonomous AI systems within the next two years.

However, many organisations are still developing governance frameworks and operational models to manage these technologies effectively.

Seiveright said this transition creates opportunity for countries like Jamaica which can combine technology adoption with strong workforce capability and regulatory credibility.

“If we integrate AI responsibly, with strong governance, workforce training, and operational discipline, Jamaica can compete successfully in higher-value segments of the global services market,” Seiveright added.

He noted that the BPO sector is already evolving away from simple voice-based customer support toward more sophisticated services including analytics, compliance monitoring, complex customer engagement, and knowledge-based processing.

The minister also cited industry analysis highlighting that AI’s real impact in call centres lies in operational improvement rather than workforce replacement.

“Tools such as interaction analytics, real-time agent support systems and automated quality monitoring can improve productivity and service performance when combined with trained human teams.

“These technologies work best as force multipliers for people . They strengthen human performance rather than replace operational leadership, training and governance,” Seiveright argued.

The launch of the Portmore Incubator and Linkages Forum is intended to support that transition by helping smaller operators, entrepreneurs and service providers connect with the global services ecosystem.

The initiative is the product of collaboration between several public and private sector stakeholders, including the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ), Jampro, the Port Authority of Jamaica, and the Jamaica Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Authority, with civil works financed through grant funding from the Inter-American Development Bank.

Seiveright commended the GSAJ, for its continued advocacy on behalf of the sector and its role in helping to equip the incubator.

He said the facility will lower barriers for new entrants, strengthen linkages between public and private sector actors and position Portmore as an emerging node for global digital services growth.

The Government, he added, is moving to modernise the SEZ framework, including the development of intellectual property protections, clearer operational rules and a structured work-from-home policy for the sector as global service delivery models continue to evolve.

“The message Jamaica must send is one of confidence,” Seiveright said.

“Yes, AI is changing the landscape. Yes, competition is intensifying. But Jamaica is not retreating. We are modernising our frameworks, strengthening partnerships and preparing our workforce to move further up the value chain.”

He said the future of the global services sector will increasingly depend on AI-enabled operations, higher-value customer experience, strong governance and workforce adaptability.

“And Jamaica has a credible path to compete and win in that environment,” declared Seiveright.