Study: How AI is reshaping the telco value chain

The IBM Institute for Business Value study shows that generative AI is live in customer care for 69% of telecoms. Meanwhile, agentic AI-capable of autonomous decision-making-is being used by 44% of CSPs. These technologies are enabling real-time insights, personalized experiences and operational efficiency across the board.

Momentum is building in areas such as network automation, edge intelligence and service assurance, but leading CSPs are already pushing further.

For example, Bharti Airtel, a leading CSP in India, has deployed an AI-powered anti-SPAM network that flags over 8 billion spam calls and 1 billion spam SMS messages. It identifies nearly 1 million spammers daily. The company also launched an AI-driven RAN energy management solution, expected to save USD 12 million annually while reducing its carbon footprint.

Meanwhile, China Mobile has introduced over 24 AI products. One of them, Lingxi-an intelligent customer assistant-handles 90% of first-line inquiries and has boosted customer satisfaction by 10% in pilot regions. The company also uses AI-powered predictive analytics to reduce network repair times by 30% and AI-based energy management to dynamically optimize power usage across its RAN infrastructure.

As AI becomes embedded in critical infrastructure, telecom providers are turning to performance dashboards to bring transparency and accountability to AI-driven initiatives. These tools help shift AI from a black box to a visible engine for business value-tracking model drift, triggering retraining and alerting teams when KPIs fall below thresholds. Governance dashboards also support regulatory compliance by offering transparency logs for audit purposes.

To ensure sustained impact, continuous monitoring and agile feedback loops are essential. But measuring the right things matters equally. Focusing solely on cost can obscure gains in customer experience or business growth.

That insight is why leading telecom adopters track a balanced set of KPIs-most often cost savings, customer satisfaction, AI-driven revenue growth and operating margin. Over the past year, CSPs have reported real, measurable improvements across these high-priority performance areas.
By anchoring AI initiatives in business outcomes and operational KPIs, CSPs can ensure that innovation translates into growth, efficiency and long-term competitive advantage.