
AI tools are replacing routine jobs in call centers and customer service — IT training centers are shifting focus to AI skills — Startups like LimeChat are enabling companies to significantly reduce staff
At a startup office in one of India's cities, developers are perfecting artificial intelligence chatbots that speak and write like humans.
The company, LimeChat, has an audacious goal: to make customer service jobs nearly redundant. According to the company, AI-powered agents allow customers to reduce the number of employees needed to handle 10,000 monthly requests by 80%.
Low wages and the ability to speak English turned India into the world’s “back office” — often at the expense of workers in other countries. Now, AI-powered systems are taking over jobs traditionally done by headset-wearing graduates in technical support, customer care and data management, fueling a race to adapt, according to a Reuters analysis.
This situation is generating new business for AI startups that help companies reduce staff costs and expand operations — even though many consumers still prefer to communicate with a real person.