VOXI by Vodafone has become the ‘first’ UK telecommunications company to launch a generative AI (GenAI) chatbot.
The telco hopes that its VOXI chatbot will enhance customer experiences by engaging in a more human-like manner when resolving customer requests.
To begin with, however, it will only be available to a small number of customers while it irons out any potential issues.
Powered by ChatGPT, the new chatbot was built alongside the global professional services company Accenture and uses an AI safety framework to ensure a responsible and ethical deployment.
Mark Farbrace, Generative AI Lead, Accenture UK, added:
VOXI is using generative AI to fundamentally reinvent its business. The customer experience is only the start of how this technology can be adopted at scale across the organisation.
Indeed, 98 percent of UK executives see generative AI as a transformative technology for their companies and industries - according to Accenture's own study.
Furthermore, 81 percent of organizations revealed they plan to raise their 2024 spending for AI and data.
Scott Currie, Head of VOXI by Vodafone, communicated his pride in the company’s achievement:
We’re delighted to be the first UK telco to give our customers the chance to try this exciting new technology in an easy-to-use chatbot.
Vodafone Partners with Microsoft
The GenAI chatbot announcement follows the launch of Vodafone Group's ten-year strategic partnership with Microsoft. Part of the deal is for the telco to strengthen customer experiences by implementing Microsoft’s AI.
Yet, beyond their own operations, Vodafone and Microsoft will also provide digital platforms to over 300 million consumers, businesses, and public sector organizations.
The British telecommunications company also committed to investing $1.5BN in cloud and customer-focused AI services over the next ten years with Microsoft.