- By 2027, AI is expected to handle half of all customer service cases — up from 40% today, according to Philippine service professionals.
- That sharp climb reflects a broader shift underway: AI has leapt from the margins to the mainstream, becoming the #2 priority for global service leaders —and a top-ten priority for Philippine respondents.
- New research from Salesforce’s 7th State of Service report reveals how AI is transforming front-line responsibilities and career opportunities.
According to a new global survey of 6,500 service professionals — including 200 in the Philippines — AI is no longer just automating decision trees. It is reshaping how service teams spend their time, grow their careers, and meet customer expectations. So what does this shift look like in practice? Salesforce’s newest State of Service report reveals three key trends.
AI leaps in priority as service teams eye gains in speed, cost, and customer satisfaction
Philippine service leaders prioritize improving the customer experience, workforce skills, and service technologies — all things AI supports.
“For decades, customer service has been limited by a commercial constraint: businesses couldn’t afford to hire enough staff to answer every call instantly, so they relied on workarounds like hold music to manage the volume of inquiries. AI agents eliminate this trade-off, solving for both scale and quality. Instead of rationing exceptional service, companies can now use AI agents to deliver the immediate, tailored attention of a personal concierge to the mass market. This allows human teams to stop managing queues and start managing the complex, high-value relationships that truly drive growth,” said Gavin Barfield, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Solutions, Salesforce ASEAN.
Philippine service teams estimate AI currently handles 40% of cases. By 2027, as AI agents — or digital labor – gain momentum, they project that figure will reach 50%. This transition reflects the emergence of the agentic enterprise, where AI agents work alongside human teams as collaborative partners, reasoning and acting independently to handle routine tasks. At the same time, employees focus on more complex, higher-value work.
Beyond resolving more cases, teams are betting on AI agents to amplify their impact, from cutting service costs to improving customer satisfaction. Philippine service professionals project that agentic AI will boost upsell revenue by 15%.
Reps with AI report less rote work, more growth opportunities, and a brighter career outlook
Besides organizational-level gains, AI is reshaping individual service reps’ work experiences. Philippine reps using AI spend 20% less time on routine cases — freeing up an estimated four hours per week for more complex work. That means less time handling password resets and status updates and more time making nuanced judgment calls and managing tricky exceptions. Philippine reps with agentic AI spend even more time on high-complexity cases, dedicating a quarter of their week to the thorniest issues.
With AI agents taking on more cases, service reps have more time for other priorities — and every minute counts. Compared with nonusers, agentic AI-enabled service reps are significantly more likely to mentor colleagues, lead cross-functional projects, and improve processes. They’re also more likely to work with high-value customers and take on leadership roles, showing how AI can open doors for more impactful, career-building work.
In fact, 84% of Philippine service reps with AI say it’s creating growth opportunities. Specifically, 82% of Philippine service reps have developed new skills, and 77% say their roles have become more specialized as a result of working with AI tools. Most importantly, service reps with AI feel good about where they’re headed, with agentic AI users being the most optimistic about their career prospects. This may reflect a selection bias among future-focused early adopters, but it aligns with their reported opportunities for skill-building, specialization, and leadership.
As organizations roll out AI, security and accuracy remain top of mind
While service reps agree that AI is a lever for growth and opportunity, implementing AI comes with challenges. Still, 87% of Philippine service leaders say the obstacles they’ve faced were expected — and in many cases, less challenging than anticipated. Security remains the top concern, with 45% of Philippine service leaders saying security concerns have delayed or limited their AI initiatives.
Even there, sentiment is shifting. Salesforce’s latest State of IT: Security report found that all surveyed security leaders expressed optimism about AI agents, with each identifying at least one area where these tools could strengthen their security posture. Many pointed to improvements in threat detection, anomaly monitoring, and breach prevention. When implemented with care, agentic AI can be viewed not just as a risk to mitigate but as a tool to improve resilience.
Go deeper:
- Read the whole State of Service report
- Find more insights in the Salesforce Stat Library
Methodology:
Data is sourced from a double-anonymous survey of 6,500 service professionals and decision makers conducted from April 25 through June 6, 2025. Respondents represented Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.
