Call centers are feeling the effects of Japan's labor shortage, which is making it hard to find and train staff. But help is on the horizon: IT firms are developing AI-based tech that can help call staff do a smoother and more efficient job.

NTT Communications has created a system that can identify words and phrases by customers, then supply call staff with the correct answer from in-house manuals. It also summarizes conversations.

The system can even alert managers when staff are being subjected to verbal abuse and harassment. NTT Communications plans to roll out the system at the end of March.

SoftBank is aiming to commercialize similar AI-based tech by the end of March 2026.
KDDI group started selling a system developed for call centers last month.