By Kavit Majithia

Telecoms sector deemed critical to AI efficiency drive

A Liberty Global commissioned report found 50 per cent of jobs in the US, European Union, UK and Switzerland could be complemented by AI, with the majority of these roles highly dependent on telecoms networks.

The study, conducted by Ernst & Young, revealed the telecoms sector will play a critical role in helping seven out of every ten jobs to be augmented by AI, “unlocking substantial efficiency gains”.

Its Wired for AI report analysed the impact of AI on working practices, highlighting the sector’s central role in propagating its social and economic benefits.

Another stand-out figure estimated the total time saved if AI was used across the telecoms sector could equate to $33 billion in yearly wages, with the US the biggest beneficiary, followed by Germany, the UK and France.

According to Liberty Global, AI has the potential to transform the telco sector by enhancing network operations, bolstering security, elevating customer service and streamlining back-office processes. In practice, AI algorithms can be used to analyse traffic patterns and help to predict congestion and other issues helping to reduce network downtime.

Findings from the study coincided with Liberty Global’s CEO Mike Fries appearance at MWC24 in the second keynote yesterday.

He said he was somewhat “obsessed” by AI, but warned it was important for the industry to take a focused approach to adopting the technology which will be “a game changer”.

“It’s impossible to go from zero to 60 and be effective in a way where you’ve got everybody trying everything,” Fries said.