Global AI Telco Alliance partners - Singtel, SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, e& and SoftBank Corp have announced a new joint venture to develop large language models (LLMs) specifically tailored to the needs of telecommunications companies.
Through the joint venture company, which will be established this year, the five companies will design these advanced models, envisioned to enhance customer interactions through digital assistants and chatbots.
The key focus is to develop "multilingual" LLMs optimised for languages including Korean, English, German, Arabic, and Japanese, with plans for other languages like Bahasa to be deployed in Southeast Asia.
Compared to general LLMs, telco-specific LLMs are attuned to the telecommunications domain and better at understanding user intent.
The LLMs are currently being optimised, and the telco's customer service data is used to fine-tune the model for telco-specific questions so that it can understand, summarise, and respond to customer's specific concerns.
"This targeted training ensures the LLM understands the unique language and needs of telecom operators, enabling them to offer personalised customer experiences," the release said.
Tailored AI Solutions
By making it easier for telcos to deploy generative AI models efficiently, telco-specific LLMs are expected to help accelerate the AI transformation of various telco businesses and services, from streamlining customer support interactions to enabling personalised recommendations.
Deutsche Telekom's board member for technology and innovation, Claudia Nemat said AI helps the firm to provide better customer experience.
"By integrating telco-specific large language models, our 'Frag Magenta' chatbot becomes even more human-centric: AI personalises conversations between customers and chatbots," she added.
Singtel has also unveiled its plans to deploy the new LLM across the organisation to expand its chatbot capabilities, freeing up service agents to deal with more complex customer issues.
