PLDT Inc. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) in improving customer service.
“We have been looking into AI and studying how it can help us grow our business, be more efficient, and be more customer-centric,” said Alfredo Panlilio, PLDT and Smart president and chief executive officer (CEO), adding that the challenge for the telco industry is finding the “next big thing.”
“We have to think beyond what we are doing today and innovate. The challenge for us is finding the next big idea, and possible growth areas,” he added.
Currently, PLDT and Smart are employing AI and machine learning on their self-optimizing network, joining global operators in the rapid adoption of the technology.
“AI and machine learning enable us to have a more predictive — and later on, prescriptive — way of operating our network,” said Eric Santiago, PLDT and Smart network head.
Victor Genuino, ePLDT president and CEO, emphasized the value of a “strong governance model” and human oversight at the start when employing AI even in conventional use cases such as chatbots for customer service.
