John Nosta, a leading innovation theorist in AI, tech and medicine, recently acknowledged in his Psychology Today blog, The Digital Self, the fears humanity harbors about AI’s rise: “Can machines replace our doctors, our artists, our thinkers? Will they shrink the role of human ingenuity, leaving us spectators to an automated world?”
Far from replacing individual ingenuity, AI has the potential to reinvent what creativity can be. Nosta then pointed out historical examples of massive technological change that proved this out, such as the evolution of photography from the domain of a few artists like Ansel Adams to a digital art form for the masses. His conclusion? That tech advancements redefine creativity, inviting wider collaboration, not obsolescence.
Within the realm of telecom, Microsoft, back in July 2023, conceived its own larger AI vision as a tool that redefines workplace productivity, coining the term “AI Transformation.” Part of that is about how telcos can use generative AI to enable new use cases for their customers across the business landscape.
Telcos implementing GenAI-driven networks on a carrier-grade, hybrid cloud platform can flexibly support 5G applications such as smart factories, autonomous tractors in agriculture and a host of sensor-based services that can revolutionize logistics.
The GenAI market, particularly within the context of 5G technology, is forecasted to be a $1.3 trillion market by 2032. Generative AI will spur development across multiple sectors, including telecommunications, that rely on 5G for continuous high-speed communication or fast data analysis and decision making to deliver business benefits. Telecom isn’t alone; virtually all sectors, from healthcare to automotive and manufacturing, also are seeing dramatic benefits from the power of 5G and AI.
According to HCLTech, 5G technology enhances AI applications by providing the high-speed, low-latency environments necessary to deploy more complex, real-time AI solutions. This synergy promises transformative impacts for telco customers that rely on instant data transmission and advanced analytics to create a more connected and intelligent technological landscape.
"Generative AI and 5G can empower innovation by redefining work, communication and digital security,” says Priyadarshi Ashok Das, EVP – Telecom, Media and Entertainment Services at HCLTech.
And indeed, global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that new GenAI use cases could generate $60 billion to $100 billion in new revenues for the telecom sector. estimates that new GenAI use cases could generate $60 billion to $100 billion in new revenues for the telecom sector.
In addition to these benefits, GenAI is creating new service opportunities in other areas too, including a growing move by telecom providers to offer AI-as-a-service. In this scenario, businesses can access and use advanced AI capabilities without having to build their own infrastructure. They essentially “rent” AI tools from a communications service provider, which allows them to benefit from GenAI deliverables quickly.
Innovative providers like Orange France already are embracing this trend. The company, a user of Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot, invested three years exploring the use cases for AI. When generative AI emerged, it built a program dedicated to this new era of AI.
"Generative AI is the prelude to a tsunami of innovations," says Brice Miranda, Deputy Director in charge of Data, AI and Automation at Orange France, part of Orange Group, one of the world’s leading telecom and digital services operators.
The customer reports over 40 use cases under development and 10 already implemented. In customer relations, Orange France uses AI-powered tools to streamline the adaptation of over 30,000 FAQ entries, which now have a warmer, more empathetic tone. These tools significantly reduce the time needed to rewrite content, allowing Orange employees to focus on refining and approving AI-generated responses for optimal customer engagement.
Similarly, marketing teams use GenAI to aid in the creation of product sheets and enable them to seamlessly generate on-target marketing research summaries. These applications save time by extracting key details from supplier guides and delivering instant, source-referenced insights to answer complex queries. Such tools empower employees to work more efficiently without sacrificing accuracy or depth.
Developers and field technicians at Orange France also have seen notable productivity gains. GitHub Copilot supports 200 developers by accelerating coding tasks, while AI-enhanced synthesis tools in Fiber After-Sales Service cut intervention analysis time from 20 minutes to under three. These innovations augment human efforts, enabling teams to focus on high-value tasks while benefiting from enhanced efficiency and precision.
A year into their GenAI journey, Orange France officials report growing confidence in the tool, which is reflected in the pace of new use cases and rollout of GenAI applications across the company. Orange isn’t alone in its enthusiasm for this more creative form of AI that creates new content. In fact, six in 10 telecom providers use GenAI to enhance customer experience scenarios, with that number expected to increase to 90% by 2027. By implementing AI-powered support systems, telecom firms have improved customer satisfaction through faster and more accurate responses. GenAI automates network optimization, billing and customer service inquiries, leading to reduced operational costs and more efficient resource allocation.
Microsoft’s GenAI offering, Microsoft 365 Copilot, already is redefining how AI can empower human achievement. The GenAI tool “enriches employee experiences, reinvents customer engagement, reshapes business processes and bends the curve on pragmatic innovation,” reflected Judson Althoff, Microsoft EVP and chief commercial officer, on the game-changing role Copilot has played this year for Microsoft’s telecom business.
Without a doubt, advances in AI will continue, and the sky is the limit to how telcos can use GenAI to unlock opportunities to drive better insights and more engaging experiences for their customers. Society is only now beginning to ponder what AI Transformation will embody in the future, but one thing is clear: it’s a journey that requires everyone—businesses, telco partners and AI technology providers alike —to collaborate often, recognizing that human creativity is the key to discovering how AI can be a transformative enabler with new ways of working, connecting and thriving.