The 2023 Telecoms Buyer Report, which polls business owners, C-level executives and senior managers responsible for purchasing telecoms services, found that 70 per cent of companies have or are planning to adopt a policy on AI usage, while 44 per cent of respondents reported that their company has already adopted a solution that uses AI or is described as ‘AI-enabled’.
The study also revealed that the C-suite is playing a greater role in deciding on telecoms services, with one third (33 per cent) of companies saying that their CEO/president has input into the process. Added to that, one in five (20 per cent) respondents said they are now consulting their entire employee base on telecoms decisions.
In terms of use cases for AI within telecoms, the US appears to be focused more on improving data analysis and management (26 per cent), whereas the same number in the UK said they were more concerned with reduction in human error.
Finbarr Begley, senior analyst at Cavell, said, "AI in communications is not a future technology anymore, it is here. Its impact is already being seen and it is finding its way into every sort of solution imaginable. This is also driving rapid expansion and refinement of AI policies as suppliers are asked to clarify their own usage of AI and guarantee that no misuse is occurring anywhere in the supply chain."
Despite the positive findings, the report also confirmed that concerns around AI still exist, with the primary concern being future adoption will lead to the accidental breaking of customer privacy and protection regulations (28 per cent), while in the UK specifically there is also concern that employees may misuse AI (26 per cent).