PLDT puts agentic AI to work as digital demand accelerates

Insider Spotlight 

• PLDT is using AI and automation to handle rising operational pressure as 5G, broadband and satellite connectivity gain traction
• Its KAI knowledge tool cuts research that could take up to five days to as little as one to three seconds
• The telco says its AI tools are freeing thousands of work hours while accelerating customer responses and risk reviews
  
  
  
  

Rising demand for digital connectivity is pushing PLDT to automate more of its internal work, as the Philippine telco seeks to respond faster to customers without relying solely on additional headcount.

PLDT has scaled the use of UiPath's business orchestration, automation and agentic AI capabilities across its operations, targeting bottlenecks in knowledge retrieval, customer service and risk management as 5G adoption, broadband usage and satellite connectivity expand nationwide.

Beyond answering questions

 The deployment shows how enterprise AI is moving beyond answering questions toward carrying out parts of workflows. For PLDT, that means turning internal information into actionable intelligence while giving employees more capacity for customer-facing and higher-value work.

Its Knowledge, Automation, Intelligence tool, or KAI, converts a research process that previously took as long as five days into contextual responses delivered within one to three seconds. PLDT estimates KAI creates productivity capacity equivalent to about 12 full-time employees and eliminates 25,000 to 30,000 hours of manual work annually.

Complex evaluations

Ellie, PLDT Enterprise's AI-powered digital assistant, reduces manual effort by 25 to 35 percent, saves an estimated 18,000 to 25,000 hours annually and delivers customer responses up to 80 percent faster.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise Risk Intelligence Companion Agent, or ERICA, synthesizes information, scores risks and recommends treatments. Deployed in February, it has cut complex evaluations that took two to 10 days to between five minutes and one day, reducing manual effort by 97 to 99 percent.

Growing digital needs

“At PLDT, we are committed to harnessing technology to better serve our customers and support the country's growing digital needs. Our partnership with UiPath enables us to bring greater intelligence into our operations, streamline processes, unlock the value of enterprise knowledge, and deliver more consistent and personalized customer experiences. By empowering our teams with smarter ways of working, we are driving innovation and building a more agile organization for the future,” PLDT and Smart first vice president and head of IT and Transformation Office Gilbert Gaw said.

Rising customer expectations 

UiPath area vice president for Middle East & Africa and South Asia Karl Crowther said rising customer expectations alongside expanding digital services are increasing pressure on communications providers to offer faster and more seamless support.

“Customer expectations continue to rise alongside the growth of 5G, broadband, and digital services. This has created increased pressure on communications providers to deliver faster, more seamless support experiences,"  Area vice president for the Middle East and Africa and South Asia of UiPath Karl Crowther said. 

"Leveraging the business orchestration and automation capabilities in the UiPath Platform allowed PLDT to transform enterprise knowledge into actionable intelligence, enabling teams to resolve issues more efficiently, make faster decisions, and strengthen customer trust,” Crowther said. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma