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AI: Driving Radical Innovation, Growth and Sustainable Development

Artificial Intelligence plays a crucial role in ensuring reliable connectivity and advancing digital inclusion

From voice-activated assistants such as Siri to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the way we live and work. But have you ever stopped to think about its impact on mobile connectivity, especially as 5G subscriptions will reach close to 5.6 billion in 2029? What if your smartphone could predict your data usage and optimise your network connection in real time?

The evolution of AI is truly mind-blowing, with incredible possibilities on the horizon. As one of the greatest transformative forces of our time, AI is revolutionising all sectors including telecommunications. Its unprecedented efficiency and automation capabilities are reshaping the telecommunications industry, driving agility, and enabling predictive, proactive operations. Today, many service providers are leveraging AI to automate tasks and make data-driven decisions.

AI is key to developing the networks of tomorrow. It enhances communication technologies, supports extended reality (XR), reduced capability (RedCap) devices, and boosts network energy efficiency. The rise of large language models (LLMs) has also expanded the potential for generative AI use cases, bringing with it benefits that go far beyond traditional applications.

AI has been critical in the evolution of mobile connectivity, advancing the shift from best-effort mobile broadband to more predictable, performance-oriented services. This shift promises significant economic benefits, empowering businesses, governments, and societies to meet sustainability goals.

While these advancements may be remarkable, we are just beginning to unlock AI's true power. Its impact will become even more pronounced as 5G networks become ubiquitous. That is when AI will pave the way for innovations we never imagined.

As leaders in 5G technology, we are excited about AI's potential and have been at the forefront of its adoption. For decades, we have leveraged AI-powered solutions to manage complex network data, predict patterns, and optimise network performance. Our AI-driven predictive network management technology provides comprehensive machine learning-based diagnostics, root cause analysis, and actionable recommendations to enhance user experiences. This not only helps communication service providers (CSPs) address network anomalies but also redefines how networks are operated and maintained.

This is why I was particularly excited about this year’s Gitex Global theme, ‘AI Everything’. This aligns perfectly with our commitment to creating a mobile-first world powered by cloud and AI, where differentiated, high-performance networks are accessible everywhere. We look forward to showcasing our cutting-edge innovations in AI and connectivity, sharing our expertise on how AI can contribute to achieving global sustainability goals, and exploring future technologies like 5G advanced technologies and paving the way to 6G.

In the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, AI plays a crucial role in ensuring reliable connectivity and advancing digital inclusion, particularly in line with ambitious national visions. We are deploying AI-enabled solutions to improve network performance, contribute to digital transformation, and tackle challenges unique to these markets. By adopting AI, we are not only solving current issues but also laying the foundation for the networks of the future.

Key to highlight as well that with AI’s vast benefits, there is a pressing need to look into cybersecurity. As 5G and ICT transition to cloud and edge computing, new vulnerabilities are emerging. The rise of generative AI and LLMs has equipped adversaries with the tools to rapidly exploit these weaknesses.

According to a report by Sapio Research and Deep Instinct, 85 per cent of security professionals attribute the rise in attacks to generative AI. Mitigating these threats will require advanced AI-driven security solutions.

Trustworthiness also remains a challenge. AI’s reliance on probabilistic models can create uncertainty, and transparency around AI processes is crucial. To realise the full potential of AI, trust needs to be established in the development, deployment and use of AI. This is why it’s critical for us to build human trust in AI, addressing aspects spanning from explainability and human oversight to security and built-in safety mechanisms. Trustworthiness is a prerequisite for AI, and we are building it into the system by design.

Unlocking AI’s full potential will require partnerships across industries to develop secure and trustworthy solutions. As we move toward an era where networks can sense, compute, learn, and act autonomously, AI will be central to managing the explosion of data generated by billions of connected devices. This hyperconnected future will depend on strong partnerships between ICT companies and CSPs, transforming business and society through secure, efficient, and sustainable communication services.