AI-driven transformation in telecom is well underway, with network operators pursuing varied AI ... [+] strategies to improve both subscriber experiences and operational results.Wikimedia Commons user Anggisp, used under CC BY-SA 4.0 licenseModern AI, encompassing generative and agentic solutions, continues to be at the forefront of technology conversations. Its ability to improve productivity, enhance customer experiences, optimize decision making and foster dramatic improvements in business efficiency makes it one of the most important advancements in the history of technology, eclipsing the advent of cloud computing. Mobile network operators in growing numbers are taking note, embracing the power of generative AI and rapidly evolving agentic AI applications to not only improve network performance, but also reimagine front- and back-office operations.In this piece, I will dig deeper into several telecom service providers that I believe are embracing the power of modern AI to significantly improve subscriber experiences and in the process transform operational efficiency and service delivery including AT&T, NTT Docomo, SK Telecom, T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom, Verizon and Vodafone.AT&T Embraces AI For Customers And Internal OperationsAT&T has long adopted AI to enhance its network operations and elevate subscriber experiences. I recently wrote about these efforts after spending time with the carriers consumer broadband and wireless services executive leader, Jenifer Robertson. However, one of its most ambitious AI initiatives is Ask AT&T, an internal AI-powered chatbot launched in 2023 that was originally targeted for use by its software developers. Today, Ask AT&T is used by nearly two-thirds of its 150,000 employees extending into customer support, financial analysis, supply chain management, retail foot traffic analysis and other use cases.Unlike conventional tools that require laborious queries, Ask AT&T enables employees to interact with it using natural language to reduce the time it takes to resolve customer issues. Digging deeper, the tool allows support staff to identify trends, merge data sources and even generate complex queries to extract insights from vast troves of network data. AT&T claims that Ask AT&T has allowed its developers to reduce coding time up to 30%, as well as save customer service agents several minutes per inbound call. Those are impressive business outcomes, ones that potentially have the power to accelerate new service delivery, reduce subscriber churn and ultimately return higher levels of profitability in a telecom industry fraught with challenges for both capital and operational expense.Broadly speaking, AT&T is also leveraging generative AI for predictive network maintenance. The company touts its deployment and continual training of large language models as allowing it to anticipate network congestion, detect potential service disruptions and automate corrective measures before customers experience issues. Analyzing historical and real-time network performance data is at the center of this capability, and the opportunity to move from a reactive to proactive stance has great potential to deliver high availability for connectivity services while reducing operational costs.NTT Docomo Deploys AI For Better Network ManagementNTT Docomo has integrated AI at the core of its network management strategy. The Japanese telecom giant employs AI-driven predictive analytics to enhance network performance, minimize latency and improve spectrum efficiency. To achieve these outcomes, its AI models dynamically adjust network parameters to pursue optimal connectivity for its subscribers by constantly analyzing data from millions of connected devices. These efforts are something that I have written about in the past after spending time with the operator in Japan.Its also worth highlighting that NTT Docomo partnered with Nokia last year to develop an AI-native air interface proof of concept 6G AI-AI. Many speculate that future 3GPP 6G standards will incorporate AI in the radio access network layer, and many potential benefits could come from this. Efficiencies include improved connectivity performance, higher availability and lower power consumption. Deploying and managing more sustainable network infrastructure is also a critical consideration, given the financial challenges faced by European mobile network operators in the current geopolitical climate. Power consumption also represents the largest operational expense for mobile service providers globally, and the findings that arise from 6G AI-AI may play a role in mitigating the financial impact in the longer term by significantly improving energy efficiency.SK Telecom Harnesses Agentic AI Beyond Customer SupportAt CES last month, Korean operator SK Telecom announced a subscriber beta registration for its AI-driven personal agent Aster. Expected to launch in March, Aster is meant to allow users to employ a single application that leverages agentic AI to move beyond answering simple questions. Aster is designed to understand intent to set goals and complete complex tasks. Its an ambitious endeavor, and one of the first uses of agentic AI by a mobile service provider to enable a host of use cases that extend beyond telecom customer support into lifestyle and personal tasks.To achieve its vision for Aster, SK Telecom is wisely collaborating with global search providers, large language model providers and application developers. This is creating a broad ecosystem to support its adoption not only in South Korea, but new markets including North America. From my perspective, Aster could serve as the tip of the spear not only for showcasing SK Telecoms technical innovation on the global stage, but also in capturing more subscriber share in its core operating market.T-Mobile And Deutsche Telekom Use AI For Customer EngagementT-Mobile and its parent company, Deutsche Telekom, are betting big on AI to transform customer engagement. In collaboration with OpenAI, T-Mobile has developed IntentCX, an AI-powered customer support platform designed to understand customer needs, predict intent and automate responses. Unlike traditional chatbots that rely on predefined scripts, IntentCX uses generative AI to dynamically create responses based on the context of customer interactions.Over time, T-Mobile and Deutsch Telekom intend to automate up to 75% of customer service interactions using IntentCX, which would prove its efficacy as a self-service tool. From my perspective, it has great potential to resolve issues quickly, provide a better customer experience and liberate staffers to engage in more value-added services to ensure high customer satisfaction.AI based on real-time user behavior on its networks also helps T-Mobile and Deutsch Telekom personalize offers, detect fraudulent activities and optimize network performance. Additionally, AIOps is used to analyze network usage patterns, optimize resource allocation and assist in infrastructure planning by identifying areas with growing demand for connectivity. The companies claim that their investments in AI have the potential to grow subscribership by nearly 5% over the next two years on an annualized basis. From my perspective, that number could potentially be larger if execution is flawless.Verizon Emphasizes Edge Computing Across 5G Private NetworksVerizon has recognized the potential to seek new profit pools using modern AI. The operator has been closely monitoring how AI impacts the smartphone ecosystem, buoyed by Qualcomms innovations with AI-powered features in flagship devices from Apple, Samsung and others. Its early days, and there is still a lot to be desired, especially with Apple Intelligence. However, AI-infused capabilities should improve over time and foster new monetization opportunities as well as innovative user functionality.From an enterprise services perspective, Verizon announced a partnership with Nvidia late last year to supercharge AI workloads on 5G private networks coupled with mobile edge computing. This effort combines Verizons secure, low-latency 5G private network offering with Nvidias AI Enterprise software platform, enabling real-time AI services on-premises for enterprise customers. The solution supports compute-intensive applications, including generative AI models, computer vision and augmented reality, by providing ultra-low latency, high bandwidth, enhanced security and intelligent micro-segmentation. The applications for this are effectively limitless, including digital twinning, manufacturing automation, retail foot traffic analysis and smart replenishment, improved efficiencies in transportation and logistics and more.To further its AI ambitions, the company recently announced Verizon AI Connect, an integrated suite of solutions that enable businesses to deploy AI workloads at scale. From an initial assessment, I interpret it as a catch-up exercise, given that AT&T and T-Mobile have clearly demonstrated more depth and investment in AI to date in North America. Time will tell whether Verizon is successful with this endeavor, but if it works out, the big bet in edge enablement could pay dividends and serve as a differentiator.Vodafone Collaborates With GoogleMany may not be aware that Vodafone recently entered a decade-long partnership with Google valued at more than $1 billion, to integrate Googles generative AI capabilities into its mobile services portfolio. The collaboration enables Vodafone to offer Googles AI-powered devices, such as Pixel smartphones, to customers across Europe and Africa while also embedding AI capabilities into its network and customer support infrastructure.Vodafones objective for the infrastructure integration is to unlock AI-powered customer insights. By analyzing anonymized customer call transcripts, Vodafone wants to leverage the power of AI to generate more accurate summaries, identify service pain points and enable more efficient issue resolution. The collaboration is also intended to facilitate AI-powered RAN site assessments and use AI-powered tools to optimize network functionality through predictive maintenance and ongoing configuration tasks.Telecom AI For The Win-WinThe AI-driven transformation of the telecom industry is well underway, and while the telecom providers highlighted have varying strategic focuses, there is a common thread: generative and agentic AI have the potential to elevate subscriber experiences and bring dramatic improvements to operational efficiency.By all measures, its a win-win. Carriers will find new ways to innovate, monetize and more efficiently manage the operational aspects of service delivery through AI at scale, and (hopefully) delight subscribers along the way. Mobile World Congress Barcelona, slated for the first week of March, should provide a further view into these ongoing efforts, and I will share my insights in an event wrap-up after the conference.Moor Insights & Strategy provides or has provided paid services to technology companies, like all tech industry research and analyst firms. These services include research, analysis, advising, consulting, benchmarking, acquisition matchmaking and video and speaking sponsorships. Of the companies mentioned in this article, Moor Insights & Strategy currently has (or has had) a paid business relationship with AT&T, Google, Nokia, NTT, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung, T-Mobile and Verizon.Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades