BT digital chief backs AI for wide business impact

“If we are reimagining entire processes and how things get done within the business, for customers, in service and beyond – then it’s not just a task for the digital or AI team – but for the whole organisation,” she added.

Expanding on the issue, the BT executive explained that with generative AI the company was thinking more fundamentally.

“The question is increasingly is there any part of our operations where we shouldn’t be using AI… to do things better…? Fundamentally we see AI as a route to amplify the human potential within our business – to help us do more, in different ways, to meet the needs of our current and future customers.”

Accepting that AI and generative AI are already having a significant impact on all industries and overhauling how organisations run, including telecoms, Mehta claims the technology is currently changing how the operator manages and provides services to its consumer and business customers.

“Our AI research goes back decades, and the company has today achieved over £100 million against a target of £500 million of value creation from our data estate,” she explained.

“In the future, of course, new products will come to market faster as AI helps supercharge our people. And impending product and service ideas will emerge which call on AI to power them. Having a centre of excellence in our team means we’ll be in a great position to deploy it to meet specific customer needs.”

However, Mehta warned BT’s biggest risk is its own capacity to innovate and move at speed “We can’t put AI back in the bottle – it is part of our everyday reality, and a feature of the world of work for every business.”

“With generative AI capturing excitement, something of a race has kicked off and there’s a limited window where AI can be a differentiator before it just becomes a fact of modern corporate existence.”

The executive is speaking at the Can Telcos Afford Not to be Part of the AI Race session starting at 1.05pm in Hall 6, Stage B.