2 days Ago By John Marchesan
Canada’s telecommunications sector is poised to ramp up its use of artificial intelligence to find ways to save costs, simplify customer experiences and increase revenues, industry watchers say. The role of AI was a major theme at last month’s Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, where representatives from Canada’s major carriers, manufacturers and researchers converged for the annual three-day conference. While responsible use of the technology remains an area of concern, attendees heard that telecom consumers as well as those who work in the sector are likely to increasingly encounter AI in the years to come.
Generative AI can help “transform” the sector at a time when companies are under immense financial pressure, said Hadi Skalli, managing director of data and AI for professional services firm Accenture. He said companies are facing challenges ranging from unfavourable regulatory decisions to increased customer expectations. But he said Accenture’s research in global markets shows 46 per cent of all working hours in the sector can be either augmented or automated by generative AI.
He said the company identified more than 90 use cases for telecom companies. “AI is not new in the telco space, whether it’s in Canada or globally,” Skalli said. “Telcos have been (using) AI for a long time .
.. This is really about supercharging existing AI and adding gen AI on top of it.
” He said cost savings can be found by using AI to make customer service more efficient.
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