‘AI amnesia’ tests Filipino trust in brands

The core issue is not AI capability, but integration. Twilio COO Thomas Wyatt states large language models lack proprietary customer data. Companies must connect AI systems to data warehouses for personalized responses. Without this, 73 percent of Filipino consumers will continue to repeat information during automated interactions, undermining trust and efficiency. This is a fixable problem for enterprises, not an inherent AI limitation.

This points to a clear opportunity for enterprise software providers in Southeast Asia. Companies like Twilio, with its growing Philippines market, can offer integration solutions. Local businesses that prioritize connecting customer data to AI will gain a competitive edge. Philippine Airlines already offers customers a choice between AI and human agents, a model others should adopt. The ability to switch to a human is the most important factor for 29 percent of consumers.

The test for Philippine organizations is whether they can bridge this data-AI gap by 2027. Businesses expect AI to handle 61 percent of customer service by then. Achieving this without addressing "AI amnesia" risks alienating a market where 81 percent of consumers have already interacted with AI. Transparency also matters: 73 percent of Filipino consumers want AI disclosure, but only 26 percent of organizations provide it.