Is a ‘people-first AI platform’ possible? Here’s what we learned at SaaScon PH 2026

Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by Sprout Solutions and was handled by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the publishing of this piece.

“What happens to jobs when it’s not a stable unit of work anymore? What happens to workforce skills when knowledge is already free?”

Philip Amores, vice president for people and culture at KMC Solutions, opened the panel discussion dissecting the “AI Workforce” – or the shapeshifting nature of work and roles given the age of artificial intelligence – with these questions at this year’s SaaScon PH at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Pasay City, on May 12. 

With how job security has been a collective worry, these thought-starters aren’t even elephants in the room anymore. Nonetheless, they’re still here, lingering in organizations; hence, the importance of listening to human resource experts who are dealing with these shifts in real time.

Essentially, human-led innovation alongside AI has always been the core of the yearly SaaScon – the premier gathering of the B2B SaaS community bridging founders, tech leaders, and investors. This has long been put together by AI-enhanced HR, payroll, and embedded finance platform Sprout Solutions, which calls itself a “people-first AI platform”. But is it really possible to marry two seemingly disparate concepts?

Here are some of the things we learned from Sprout, as well as other industry leaders who took part in the panel discussions.

EMPOWERED COMMUNITY. This year’s SaaScon saw an overwhelming turnout comprised of C-suite executives, investors, and more

Treat AI as a transformative tool

Instead of perceiving AI as something that can easily replace highly-skilled humans without much nuance, it might be helpful to see it as an aid in expediting the already-existing goals of a company for its employees’ productivity.

During the event’s first roundtable discussion on how business leaders rewire their companies in the age of AI, Ambe Tierro, country managing director and technology centers lead of Accenture in the Philippines, shared that AI has been utilized to transform their clients’ arrangements, service delivery, and internal processes (like HR, marketing, and legal). 

This includes using a combination of generative AI and agentic AI in their workflows, which drives productivity. And although they invest a lot in training, she explained that training isn’t enough – you have to address culture through programs and activities where employees feel safe to learn, too.

Remember that AI needs you, too

One of the most empowering statements of the day came from Sprout Solutions CEO Patrick Gentry: “AI is not a magic wand. It can enhance what’s already there [but] it’s not going to fix what’s broken.”

This shows that people’s decision-making and critical thinking skills remain a valuable force in everyday operations – and, frankly, AI needs humans to function well, too. However, companies need to check first if they’re well-equipped to utilize AI in the first place.

During an interview opportunity, I interrogated Gentry further on what he thinks are the top three key traits of an AI-ready company.

“One of the things that we’ve seen most effective is actually something from the panel, which is clarity. A company with a clear idea of what levers they’re trying to push with AI will do better than a company that doesn’t have that vision,” he said in an exclusive chat with Rappler.

“Two, I think a company whose leadership is ready to be hands-on with AI themselves is very important. What we’ve seen from Sprout – within Sprout and our client base – are the businesses where the leaders form an example are the ones where AI transformation happens the most success.”

The last in his list involves getting ahead in the game: “The technology is extremely democratic[…] It’s very easy to be paralyzed with all the hype and all the things happening. But the companies that just sit down and start playing with AI, start experimenting with it are already way ahead of everybody else because a lot of companies aren’t even really playing with it yet.”

For him, it’s important to just start experimenting, rather than spend too much time perfecting their AI roadmap.

INNOVATIVE SPIRIT. Sprout Solutions CEO and co-founder Patrick Gentry led the conversation on how business leaders effectively integrate AI into the workflow

How can AI work to your advantage?

Enjoying the benefits of AI, as ironic as it may sound, demands characteristics only real human beings have. Monica Maralit, chief operating officer of PSG Global Solutions, highlighted the importance of courage and humility when it comes to building an AI-powered workforce.

“Have the courage to change because what got you here probably won’t get you there, so it has to be something different. [And] then, humility, because [it’s a] constant learning,” she said. 

A PRODUCTIVE DAY. Attendees got to enjoy interactive booths, breakout sessions, and a series of roundtable discussions that allowed them to make meaningful connections

Meanwhile, Alvanson So, regional people lead at Canva, operates on what he calls as “change empathy,” which ensures that no employee is left behind in the transformation process. 

“It’s a different dimension of change management where you just try to manage change and get things done, but you don’t intentionally put time and effort to bring people along the journey, which I think empathy tries to fix[…] Kindness is a human value that will really usher in a better era of change, particularly in the age of technology,” he said.

He added that leaders carry the responsibility of being transparent to employees on the direction the company is going, including changes in their roles. 

“I think with the pace in which we work and the pace in which the economy in the world continues to evolve, there’s very little room or space for these kinds of human values. But then we are in the business of people. And so, we should not forget that it’s these little things that make these changes more bearable.” – Rappler.com