HUMAN EMPATHY STILL CRITICAL AS AI RESHAPES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INDUSTRY

PETALING JAYA, 12 May 2026 – Automation and artificial intelligence may be reshaping the customer experience industry, but human empathy and connection must remain at the centre of how the sector evolves.

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) CEO, Anuar Fariz Fadzil said that while technology is helping businesses improve efficiency and simplify processes, it cannot replace the human ability to solve problems, understand customers and build trust. “You can have all the tech. You can have all the ChatGPTs and all the tools in the world, but nothing replaces humans. Nothing replaces human empathy and nothing replaces the desire to be able to make a connection,” he said at the National Contact Centre Conference (NCCC) 2026 held today. He added that Malaysia’s contact centre and shared services industry have evolved significantly over the past two decades, moving beyond traditional outsourcing operations into sophisticated global business services (GBS) and customer experience hubs supporting international markets. Malaysia is today recognised internationally as one of the region’s leading hubs for multilingual and high-value customer experience operations, supported by talent, digital capabilities and industry collaboration. The country is also ranked number one in Southeast Asia and among the top 25 globally for contact centre operations by the Milken Institute. The industry’s continued evolution also supports Malaysia’s broader ambitions under the Malaysia Digital (MD) national strategic initiative and the nation’s journey towards becoming an AI Nation by 2030, particularly in advancing high-value digital services, talent development and AI adoption across industries. Although the sector is undergoing transformation as automation, AI integration and digital tools become increasingly embedded within customer engagement operations, Anuar stressed that technology should remain an enabler rather than the core purpose of the industry. “At the centre of it, it is about how we keep it all human. Tech is just a tool,” he said.

On talent development, professional growth and capacity building, Anuar said that MDEC remains committed to supporting the industry through collaboration with ecosystem partners, industry associations and businesses to help raise standards and strengthen Malaysia’s position as a trusted digital services destination. He added that Malaysia’s ability to connect with global markets while delivering culturally nuanced and human-centred customer experiences remains one of the country’s competitive advantages.

The conference marked the 15th edition of the NCCC, organised by the Contact Centre Association of Malaysia (CCAM), bringing together industry leaders, customer experience professionals and ecosystem players to discuss the future of customer engagement and digital services. Meanwhile, CCAM President, Vigneswaran Sivalingam said that the customer experience industry is undergoing rapid transformation as AI, automation and digital engagement channels reshape how organisations interact with customers. However, he stressed that the industry is not shrinking but evolving beyond traditional call handling into a broader customer engagement and experience ecosystem. “We used tools like Zoom to stay connected and collaborate, but today we use it for contact centre solutions and to elevate customer experience,” he said, adding that Malaysia remains well-positioned to strengthen its role as a trusted regional hub for customer experience excellence. For more information on MDEC and its initiatives, please visit www.mdec.com.my

- END -