BT has announced its growing reliance on artificial intelligence to identify and mitigate cyber threats against its business clients, amidst ongoing assaults on corporations. This telecommunications giant, valued at £10.5 billion, is developing its capacity to shield customers from cybercriminals through patented AI technology that processes attack data to secure technological infrastructures.
BT’s Eagle-i aims to protect customer data from hacks
BT has secured 725 AI-related patents and patent applications across Europe, the United States, and China. Bas Burger, CEO of BT Business, the segment handling corporate clients, stated:
“We have all this data around when criminals try to attack, such as time of day, what type of attack, and we have suppliers to help us with the information … all data we enrich and then we have a piece of AI running across it.”
Burger highlighted that the Eagle-i system, introduced in 2021, advises on firewall strategies needed to defend against specific cyber-attacks. Additionally, BT employs AI to swiftly identify and pinpoint network faults, considerably shortening the time required for repairs compared to traditional methods.
He also pointed out that the swift advancement in technology has sparked both concern and apprehension among some organizations about their choices in technology and its disruptive impact on operations.
A recent BT survey of 2,000 business leaders indicated that 86% of them experience stress from technological decisions as they aim to modernize their enterprises. Furthermore, the findings showed that 88% of companies are investing in new technologies this year to enhance productivity and achieve a competitive edge, with tech investments increasing by 31% annually.
“Every business today is a digital business. They all want to use technology and they are increasing investment … The flip side is everyone is getting anxious about this. The tempo of innovation is increasing, which in itself gives a lot of business leaders anxiety about ‘what should I do?’. It’s like changing an aeroplane engine while the aeroplane is flying – you’re anxious because the aeroplane is in the air,” Burger stated.
BT is deepening its commitment to artificial intelligence, having announced last year a strategy to substitute about 10,000 roles with AI. This initiative is a component of a larger objective to decrease its total workforce by as many as 55,000 positions by 2030.
On Thursday, BT is scheduled to disclose its yearly earnings, with expectations from analysts projecting that the underlying profits will nearly reach £8 billion.
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