PLDT first telco in Asean to deploy latest agentic AI

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc. will become Southeast Asia’s first telco to use one of the most advanced agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite information exchange with enterprises.

PLDT yesterday said it is partnering with New York-based innovator UiPath in deploying conversational agent KAI, short for Knowledge, Automation, Intelligence.

The telco will become the first provider in the region to use what is viewed in the AI industry as one of the most advanced agentic solutions right now.

KAI will support PLDT’s business unit, PLDT Enterprise, in engaging with clients. PLDT head of network strategy Eric Santiago said KAI can produce information needed by customers in just split seconds.

“Before KAI, our teams had to dig for answers in the middle of a customer conversation, (while) now the information comes to them. That improves how fast we respond, how well we design the solutions, how much our customers trust us,” Santiago said.

Further, Santiago said PLDT plans to maximize KAI by training personnel on what to input in it to develop tailor-fit solutions for clients.

“Soon, we can even automate the creation of solutions specific to customer needs,” he added.

For PLDT, working with UiPath for KAI’s deployment into the Philippines aligns with its goal to shift to tech-enabled selling, which combines AI’s capabilities with human engagement.

Santiago said the objective is to introduce an AI assistant that improves customer experience by reducing wait times. For businesses, he noted that KAI could mean cost efficiencies in validating network availability and finding the right solutions for specific needs.

UiPath regional vice president and managing director for Southeast Asia Amit Khandelwal said PLDT is setting a new benchmark for telcos in the region. He guaranteed that KAI’s deployment would show what AI tools can do in delivering better outcomes.

As a whole, telcos are moving up the AI chain by tapping some of the most advanced solutions for automation.

Last week PLDT’s rival Globe Telecom Inc. said it has reached 90-percent adoption of AI suite Gemini for Workspace, allowing it to raise company-wide productivity, from quality assurance to custom needs.