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"If you view AI as magic, you're going to be disappointed in the results. It’s time to destroy the magic."
Today’s Zero-Touch Telecom Live saw Rakuten Symphony CMO Geoff Hollingworth trade hosting duties for the interview hot seat.
Geoff is back from Mobile World Congress Las Vegas where he keynoted at the event’s Telco AI Summit, hosted by GSMA. He broke down for us the key takeaways from his presentation in a candid conversation that covered the pitfalls of overhauling business strategies to accommodate AI, viewing AI through the lens of industrialized creativity and what it looks like to apply tech company principles to telecom. The replay is available now below.
During the discussion, Geoff emphasized the need to move beyond the idea of AI as magic:
"If you buy something that you don't understand, you're giving it power to control what it does to you—and that never leads to the best decisions."
He emphasized that AI should serve to enhance existing business models rather than dictate new strategies. He urged companies to focus on core customer promises and not become distracted by the allure of AI.
Citing Rakuten’s approach, Geoff explained how the company applies tech-driven principles across its 70+ businesses—including connectivity—without compromising its member-first philosophy.
The discussion ended with two examples of how AI can be deployed by operators to drive positive change and enhance the customer promise:
Check out the replay of Geoff’s keynote and interview now
