For years, Peter Bell, CEO of TGT Global, has heard the same question. If AI can do the work, why would a business still need an offshore team?
It sounds like a fair question. In fact, Peter says it is now one of the most common questions he gets. His answer is simple:
“AI will replace some work. But that does not mean it will replace the people doing the work that matters. And for businesses that know how to use both, the result could be even better than either one on its own.”
The question Peter keeps hearing
Peter has been in the IT industry for 35 years. He has seen this cycle before.
He was told in 1994 that Windows 95 and Plug and Play would mean businesses would no longer need IT support. Then Google came along, and people said customers would just fix their own problems. More recently, ChatGPT and Copilot brought the same claim back in a new form.
As Peter puts it:
“Do I think AI will replace some offshoring and outsourcing activities? Absolutely. It already has.”
That part is not up for debate.
AI is good at work that is manual, dull, and based on set rules. If a task can be fully scripted, there is a good chance AI can do it faster.
The real question is what happens to the people when that work goes away.
AI changes the job, not just the headcount
Peter does not see AI as a choice between people and software. He sees it as a tool that can make good people better.
“What has always been true is that the best and most efficient outputs typically combine tools, often technology, with humans.”
Think about what happened with calculators and Excel.
Accountants did not vanish when calculators became common. They did not vanish when Excel made complex tasks far faster. The tools changed what they could do.
AI is following the same path.
A person with the right AI tools can work faster, handle more data, and take on work that once may have required someone more senior. Peter sees this as a key part of the future of offshore teams.
“They’ll be able to deliver more than what they would have been capable of without them.”
That is a big shift. The value of an offshore team is no longer just the number of people you can add to your business. It is what those people can achieve when they have the right tools, skills, and support.
The human part still matters
There is one thing AI cannot easily replace.
People.
Peter puts it bluntly:
“Business is still done between people, and that will not change.”
A customer can get an answer from a bot. But what happens when the issue is not clear? What happens when a client is upset? What happens when someone needs a judgment call, not a scripted answer?
That is where people still matter.
Empathy matters. Context matters. Judgment matters. So does knowing a client well enough to understand what they need before they spell it out.
For TGT Global, that is why the future of offshoring is not about putting humans against AI. It is about putting them together.
The team becomes the advantage
This is where Peter sees a real opportunity for businesses.
“My recommendation, of course, is that you hire somebody over here and you give them AI to supercharge them.”
That creates what Peter calls “the best of both worlds.”
You get the speed and efficiency of AI. You also get a real person who can think, make calls, build trust, and take ownership of the work.
That person can also become part of the wider business.
They are not just a name on a task list. They can learn about the brand, understand the client, work with other teams, and grow with the company.
That distinction matters.
If a business automates every part of its service, it can start to look like every other business doing the same thing. Technology may be faster, but the experience can become harder to tell apart.
A strong team gives the business something software alone cannot. A human connection.
The future is not AI or offshoring
Peter is not worried that AI will make TGT Global irrelevant. He sees the opposite scenario.
TGT is already being asked to help businesses find offshore staff with AI skills. These people can help other teams use AI in a smart way and get more from the tools they already have.
That is irony.
The technology that some believe will replace offshore teams is also creating demand for people who know how to use it well. And this is likely to keep changing.
Some tasks will disappear. New ones will take their place. The skills businesses need will shift.
The businesses that win will be the ones that adapt. Not by choosing AI over people. By giving good people better tools.
Build the team; Give them better tools
Peter’s view of AI is not that it should be feared or ignored. It should be used.
“You get the efficiencies, the speed, and the return that you want… but it actually gives you a tangible asset in your business, gives you somebody that is living and breathing your brand, your integrity every day.”
That is the biggest opportunity for offshore teams. AI can help people do more. But people are still the ones who build relationships, make decisions, solve problems, and carry your brand into every client interaction.
The businesses that understand that will not wait for AI to settle down before they build their teams. They will build the team now, then give it the tools to get better.
Combine skilled people with better tools. Build your offshore team with TGT Global.
