The burgeoning field of agentic artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as one of the most transformative corporate trends of the current year, captivating industries worldwide with its promise of enhanced automation and intelligent decision-making. Among the latest titans to embrace this cutting-edge technology are telecommunication powerhouses Rakuten Mobile and Optus, each unveiling their distinct approaches to integrating AI agents into their core operations. This strategic divergence underscores the multifaceted potential of agentic AI, as companies explore tailored applications to drive innovation and efficiency.
Rakuten’s vision for agentic AI is ambitious, aiming to cultivate a comprehensive ecosystem where these intelligent agents actively drive engagement and cultivate value across the entire Rakuten Group. The company’s chief AI & data officer, Ting Cai, emphasized the goal of creating a pervasive AI environment that seamlessly interacts with customers and partners. This ecosystem is designed to foster deeper connections and streamline various processes, moving beyond simple task automation to truly intelligent interaction.
In its initial deployment, Rakuten’s agentic AI is being strategically integrated into Rakuten Link, the widely used Rakuten Mobile messaging application. This integration provides a familiar and accessible platform for users to experience the new AI capabilities firsthand. Furthermore, the AI agent will also be accessible as a standalone web application, offering advanced generative AI features such as sophisticated chat functionalities and enhanced search capabilities, thereby extending its reach and utility to a broader audience.
Conversely, Optus has channeled its agentic AI efforts towards enhancing internal operational efficiency and optimizing customer support. Their ‘expert AI’ solution has been meticulously developed leveraging Google Cloud’s Agent Assist tool, signifying a strategic partnership with a leading cloud provider. This focused application demonstrates Optus’s commitment to empowering its frontline staff with advanced tools, ultimately aiming to elevate the quality and speed of customer interactions.
Optus’s expert AI is engineered with the sophisticated capability to analyze customer conversations across a multitude of channels, including voice calls, chats, and emails. This analytical prowess allows the system to provide frontline staff with real-time, context-rich advice and actionable insights. By processing complex conversational data, the agent assists employees in delivering more accurate, personalized, and efficient resolutions, thereby streamlining the customer care process significantly and enhancing overall service delivery.
The distinct philosophies adopted by Rakuten and Optus highlight the versatility of agentic artificial intelligence. Rakuten’s outward-facing, ecosystem-driven approach seeks to redefine customer and partner engagement through broad AI integration, aiming for pervasive value creation. In contrast, Optus’s inward-facing strategy focuses on bolstering its operational backbone by equipping human agents with intelligent support, emphasizing efficiency and superior customer service delivery at the point of contact. Both strategies, while different, underscore a shared belief in the transformative power of AI for telecommunications.
The strategic moves by Rakuten and Optus are reflective of a larger industry trend towards the adoption of agentic AI. A recent survey conducted by Gartner earlier this year revealed a significant uptake in this technology across various sectors. The findings indicated that a notable 19% of surveyed executives reported their organizations had made substantial investments in agentic AI, signaling a strong commitment to pioneering its capabilities. This group is actively pushing the boundaries of what these intelligent systems can achieve.
The Gartner survey further delineated the investment landscape, showing that an additional 42% of organizations had committed to more conservative investments in agentic AI. This segment is cautiously exploring the technology’s potential, perhaps through pilot programs or phased rollouts, balancing innovation with risk management. Interestingly, a considerable 39% of organizations had either refrained from any investment or were adopting a “wait and see” posture, suggesting a degree of skepticism or a preference for observing the technology’s maturation before committing resources. This varied adoption rate highlights the nascent but rapidly evolving nature of agentic AI within the corporate sphere.
As agentic artificial intelligence continues to mature, its impact on the telecommunications sector is poised to be profound, fundamentally altering how services are delivered, customers are engaged, and operations are managed. The contrasting yet equally valid strategies employed by industry leaders like Rakuten and Optus serve as crucial early case studies, offering valuable insights into the diverse pathways available for harnessing AI’s intelligent automation capabilities. Their journeys will undoubtedly influence future deployments and shape the competitive landscape, emphasizing the critical role of strategic vision in technological adoption.
