Unlocking the Power of Generative AI for Telcos

Today, Communication Services Providers (CSPs) have a great opportunity to expand and diversify their revenue streams far beyond just connectivity. While their traditional role was limited to enabling voice communication and data exchange, they can now provide a wide variety of innovative services to their B2C and B2B customers globally.

Several advanced technologies are playing (and will continue to play) a growing role in making this efficiently possible. At the top of the list of these technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and especially its revolutionary flavor — generative AI (GenAI), offers transformative potential for CSPs.

From automating customer service provisioning to optimizing network operations, GenAI is reshaping how telcos approach growth, customer engagement, and efficiency.

Analysts also agree that Gen AI will be a catalyst for growth for telcos, as long as they can adapt and transform to embrace such innovations with agility.

In February 2024, a McKinsey article shared insights from a survey of leaders from 130 telcos, where more than 85% of executives are cautious to attribute more than 20% revenue or cost savings impact by domain to Gen AI.

So how can more telcos harness GenAI for better results and tangible long-term benefits?

Understanding Gen AI

If we are to answer this, let us take a step back.

Gen AI refers to machine learning models that can create new data from text, images, audio and code. They do so by learning from large datasets. Unlike traditional AI, which focuses on pattern recognition and decision-making, Gen AI mimics human-like creativity. Recent innovations like Generative Pre-trained Transformers (more commonly known as GPT) and image-generation models are examples of GenAI’s growing capabilities.

In the telecom ecosystem, GenAI is slated to have a big impact in the following domains:

Customer operations
IT and software engineering
Network planning and operations
Training and development
Product innovation
Sales and marketing
Business operations

In each of these, Gen AI is mainly positioned as a value generation assistant that can save time, manual efforts and even costs.

Gen AI in Action: In the Telecom Industry

The current phase of Gen AI in the telecom industry, especially for telcos, is quite focused on developing and rolling out replicable use cases in different domains, aiming to enhance efficiency, saving time and costs, and supporting the generation of new revenue streams.

Gen AI’s transformative potential in telecom lies in its ability to turn CSPs from pure connectivity providers into agile, AI-driven service innovators that unlock new revenue streams while radically improving efficiency and customer experience.

Among these use cases, we will focus on the following in the first phase:

1. Customer Service Automation

Telcos have large volumes of customer queries related to billing, service outages, and technical support. GenAI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are significantly improving customer experiences by offering personalized, human-like interactions in real time. These AI tools reduce call-center loads and shorten response times, leading to higher customer satisfaction. Moreover, they continuously learn and improve, reducing operational costs while scaling support services.

2. Network Optimization and Management

Managing massive telecom networks requires constant monitoring and optimization. Gen AI can analyze network performance data, predict issues, and automate problem resolution. For instance, AI models can forecast demand surges, allowing telcos to allocate resources proactively, thereby avoiding bottlenecks. This application is particularly crucial as 5G networks roll out, providing more complex and data-heavy services.

3. Fraud Detection and Prevention

Telecom companies face increasing risks from fraud, especially in mobile payments and identity verification processes. Gen AI models can identify unusual patterns, detect potential fraud, and predict emerging threats with greater accuracy than traditional rule-based systems. This predictive capability allows telcos to respond to threats faster and implement more effective security measures.

4. Marketing and Personalization

Gen AI enables telcos to create personalized marketing campaigns by analyzing customer behavior and preferences. AI models can automatically generate unique marketing content — such as offers, emails, and advertisements — that resonate with individual customers. This level of customization fosters stronger customer relationships and improves retention rates.

5. Content Generation for Media Services

As telcos diversify into media and entertainment services, Gen AI’s ability to create or enhance digital content (for example, videos, music, or promotional content) opens new revenue streams for them. AI-generated content can reduce production costs and help companies cater to a broader audience through personalized media experiences.

Change the Game with AI

At Atos, I lead the telecommunications, media and technology portfolio engagement. Armed with five accelerators, I have seen these solutions and services adapted to fulfill clients’ requirements for a secure, sovereign and ethical deployment. These accelerators integrate with partners’ platforms and solutions to boost a telco’s operations.

Here is a quick glance at some AI accelerators that are reshaping the landscape:

Industry accelerators – Ready-to-deploy use cases designed for vertical markets
Builder accelerators – Equipped with tools and frameworks to build, manage, and optimize end-to-end AI solutions
Model accelerators - Provides access to the latest GenAI frameworks and advanced model capabilities
Performance accelerators – Delivers localized, low-latency, dedicated infrastructure — from data centers to cloud-native platforms
Security accelerators - Offers comprehensive solutions to guarantee secure, compliant, and resilient AI operations

>> Connect with me and let’s discuss how you can adopt GenAI as a part of your business strategy for extensive, secure and sovereign use.

>> Learn more about Atos’s Gen AI offerings and prepackaged use cases for different industries, including the telecom space.

Posted 09/02/26