As technology advances rapidly, AI emerges as a source of innovation, promising to redefine what’s possible in our world. This sense of wonder and anticipation was palpable during our recent stop in Sydney for the Microsoft AI Tour. The vibrant enthusiasm for AI was displayed by businesses and governments in Australia and New Zealand showcasing the region’s commitment to leveraging AI to transform services, enhance efficiency, and solve complex challenges with unprecedented agility.

Microsoft’s recent investment of AUD $5 billion in Australia’s digital infrastructure is a testament to our belief in AI’s potential to empower every individual and organization to achieve more. This significant investment not only reflects our confidence in AI’s transformative power but also highlights the pivotal role Australia and New Zealand are poised to play in global AI innovation. It is against this backdrop of optimism and groundbreaking investment that we delve into success stories that demonstrate the tangible benefits AI is already bringing to the Australia and New Zealand region.

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Telstra: Revolutionizing customer service through AI

Facing the challenge of improving customer service efficiency and reducing the need for repeated information, Telstra turned to Microsoft Cloud and Azure OpenAI Service to develop their generative AI solutions, “One Sentence Summary” and “Ask Telstra.” These tools, by summarizing customer histories and providing quick access to internal knowledge, have drastically improved the efficiency and personalization of customer service, setting a new standard in telecommunications.

The successful pilot programs underscored the solutions’ impact, demonstrating marked improvements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, prompting Telstra to expand these AI tools across its network. This strategic move underscores Telstra’s commitment to innovatively enhancing service delivery through responsible AI use, in collaboration with Microsoft and Accenture.

South Australia’s Department for Education: Empowering education with AI

Confronted with the advent of generative AI services like ChatGPT, the South Australia Department for Education harnessed AI to create EdChat, a pioneering chatbot designed to enrich teaching and learning. This innovative tool, developed in collaboration with Microsoft and IT partner, Insight Enterprises, has equipped students and teachers with a dynamic resource for exploring AI safely, fostering essential future skills.

The outcome of the eight-week EdChat trial revealed a significant shift in how students engage with information and learning, promoting a culture of inquiry and critical thinking, while ensuring a secure and ethical AI learning environment. EdChat serves as a secure environment where students can ask questions without fear of judgment, granting them increased agency over their own educational paths.

This initiative not only highlights the department’s proactive approach to educational challenges but also sets a precedent for integrating AI in education, empowering the next generation with the knowledge and skills for a future where AI plays a central role.

“EdChat is a truly inspiring example of how the education sector can embrace generative AI to deliver value to its most important stakeholders – students,” says Veli Mati-Vanamo, CTO (APAC) of Insight Enterprises.

CommBank: Enhancing financial services with AI

As an early adopter of AI in the banking sector, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank) has embraced a variety of innovative AI use cases to redefine customer service and enhance operational efficiency. The bank ran a successful trial of GitHub Copilot with the goal of accelerating the coding processes, and it has deployed generative AI for personalized customer notifications, a Q&A tool to expedite staff response times, and AI-driven analysis to streamline loan processing.

Informed by these successes, Commbank recently announced an exciting expansion of their partnership with Microsoft. This collaboration will focus on generative AI to develop tools like the CommBank copilot to resolve customer queries faster and help customers better understand their money.

“Through our ongoing partnership,…we also see this as an opportunity to work together with leading global technology teams to ensure CBA’s safety and security is constantly upgraded and improved, to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape,” said Gavin Munroe, CommBank’s Group Executive, Technology and Group Chief Information Officer.

The partnership also emphasizes the development of AI-driven solutions to support CommBank staff and customers, with Microsoft engineers already collaborating on projects to elevate customer service and security.

This strategic and planned adoption of AI technologies is solidifying CommBank’s position as a leader in responsible and ethical AI use, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to leveraging AI for comprehensive business and community betterment.

Australian Government: Innovating public service with AI

In a pioneering initiative, the Australian Government is harnessing generative AI through a strategic partnership with Microsoft to revolutionize public service. Through the current pilot, 7,000 government staff members are receiving AI literacy and skills training of Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 based on a six-month trial aimed to significantly enhance productivity and the delivery of services to the public.

“By strengthening our partnership with Microsoft, we are charting a course for the future of public service – one where generative AI is used responsibly to enhance the work of the APS in delivering for Australians without compromising on safety,” said Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese when he announced the trial in November 2023.

The initiative positions Australia at the forefront of global leaders in integrating AI within government operations, reflecting a deep commitment to innovation and responsible AI use, paving the way for a robust digital future.

LawVu: Transforming legal workflows with AI

Embedded deeply within LawVu’s operational fabric, AI is transforming legal workflows and decision-making processes. As a pioneer in Microsoft’s AI First Movers program, LawVu leverages Azure OpenAI Service to power its AI Assist feature, significantly streamlining contract reviews with rapid access to essential details, thereby bypassing exhaustive document examinations.

While LawVu’s focus is on streamlining internal processes for in-house legal teams, “Now, with the power of AI embedded in that workflow, we are taking a crucial next step in transforming what in-house legal teams can do and how efficiently they can do it,” said Sam Kidd, CEO and Co-founder of LawVu.

The use of AI extends beyond customer-facing features to internal operations, where LawVu harnesses ChatGPT for swift resolution of employee policy queries and GitHub Copilot to accelerate software development, embodying AI as a core component of its innovation strategy. This holistic adoption of AI not only alleviates administrative loads but also marks a profound shift towards efficiency and enhanced productivity, symbolizing a leap forward in legal technology evolution.

Qscan Group: Advancing medical diagnostics with AI

In the face of a global radiologist shortage and heightened demand for diagnostic imaging, one of Australia’s leading medical diagnostic imaging providers, Qscan Group, turned to AI to optimize the productivity of its radiologists. Utilizing Microsoft’s cloud and AI capabilities, including Nuance’s PowerScribe One, Qscan Group radiologists improved their productivity by more than 5%.

“We’ve seen some significant improvements in our cybersecurity posture and our overall technology performance by leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem,” says Simon Button, Chief Technology Officer at Qscan Group. “It ensures that we have a high performing, yet safe and secure organization.”

Qscan is already exploring ways that generative AI and the latest AI advances can improve patient and employee experience from improving the quality of radiology reports to automating call centers, setting new benchmarks for excellence in healthcare technology.

Stuff Group: Strengthening te reo Māori language with AI translation

In their ongoing effort to support the revitalization of te reo Māori, New Zealand’s Stuff Group Te Puna has launched an exciting pilot program that leverages AI to translate news articles, videos, and audio content at scale.

“Bilingual articles aren’t new at Stuff, we’ve been producing them for years,” said Stuff’s Pou Tiaki Matua Carmen Parahi (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Hine, Rongowhakaata). “But this is the first time we will be using AI to translate even more articles at scale, which will be quality-checked by a human translator and our editorial team before being published.”

Using technology from Microsoft and Straker Translations, the AI tool will not only multiply the number of articles published each week in te reo Māori but greatly increase its ability to translate live or breaking news.

Contrasted with his own experience as a young Māori in the 1970s and 1980s, Grant Straker (Ngāti Raukawa), Founder and Chief Executive of Straker Translations proudly noted, “Today’s generation of Māori and everyone that comes after will be able to engage with regular news content in their own language.”

Microsoft and ASD: Elevating cyber resilience with Sentinel-CTIS integration

The cybercrime threat landscape is escalating, with bad actors exploring the use of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI to research and plan cyber-attacks. As part of the Microsoft-Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Shield, Microsoft Australia and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing program (CTIS) have partnered together to advance cyber resilience and ensure a safer future for Australians.

The collaboration will enable public-private exchange of threat intelligence to boost ASD’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing program (CTIS) and a world-first integration with Microsoft Sentinel technology. Microsoft Sentinel customers will be offered a free download capability to integrate into the CTIS program more easily and benefit from Microsoft’s global threat analysis of more than 78 trillion signals every day to support the fight against the evolving cybersecurity threats.

“Cyber security is a team sport, and the collective efforts of both the public and private sectors are vital to defend our nation,” said Rachel Noble PSM, Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate. “By fostering such partnerships, we can more quickly identify threats, combat threat actors and make a lasting impact on Australia’s state of security.”

By actively disrupting cybercrime, including dismantling phishing domains and targeting ransomware groups like Black Basta, the collaborative use of AI between government, industry, and international partners has proven effective in bolstering Australia’s cyber defense.

AI for everyone in Australia and New Zealand

These compelling stories from Australia and New Zealand illuminate the transformative potential of AI across sectors, serving as a source of inspiration for business leaders to explore how AI can revolutionize their operations.

Microsoft’s dedication to empowering organizations with AI technology and ethical guidance underpins a future where innovation leads to sustainable growth and enhanced human experience. As we continue this series, stay tuned for further insights and stories that celebrate the transformative journey of AI across industries and regions.

Take the next step in your AI journey by exploring Microsoft AI solutions, diving into The AI Strategy Roadmap, and getting skilled up with Microsoft Learn’s AI learning hub to ensure you’re ready to leverage Microsoft AI to its fullest potential.

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In the ever-evolving world of technology, AI stands out as a beacon of transformative power, heralding a new era of innovation and opportunity. With a diffusion rate faster than any other technology to date, it is imperative to recognize that AI is not just a technological leap but a global opportunity that transcends borders, industries, and cultures.

Reflecting on my recent discussions during Microsoft’s first AI Tour in India, I’m thrilled by the seismic shift underway in India’s AI landscape. India’s GDP is on track to grow from about USD3.5 trillion to USD5 trillion in the next three years,¹ fueling expected digital technology growth beyond 20% in the same period.² Equally impressive is how the country’s talent and innovative spirit are propelling us into a new era of technological advancement. In fact, India boasts one of the world’s largest pools of AI developers, with more developers contributing to GitHub than almost anywhere else in Asia. Indian AI projects on GitHub account for a quarter of the global total. Simply put, India’s role in shaping the future of AI is undeniable.

Through the lens of India’s vibrant innovation ecosystem, we witness firsthand the remarkable potential of AI to redefine the way businesses operate, solve complex challenges, and create unparalleled value for customers and communities alike.

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Genpact’s AI Guru: Empowering teams through generative AI

The deployment of Genpact’s AI Guru, a generative AI chatbot, exemplifies the transformative impact of AI on employee learning and development. By leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Genpact, a global professional services firm, has revolutionized its internal learning platform, enabling employees to access a wealth of knowledge and expertise at their fingertips. AI Guru assists in everything from IT migration projects to providing management advice, showcasing the power of AI to enhance team collaboration, problem-solving, and productivity.

“Today it’s a learning companion,” said Prashant Shukla, who heads learning and content management for Genome, the company’s online learning platform and knowledge base for AI Guru. “The next step is guiding people on skills they should be learning. In future, we look at this as a coach for specific roles.”

This initiative not only boosts employee engagement and retention but also underscores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in today’s fast-paced business environment.

Shiksha copilot: Revolutionizing education with AI

In the realm of education, the Shiksha copilot project, developed in collaboration with the Sikshana Foundation and powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, demonstrates the incredible potential of AI to enrich teaching and learning experiences. By generating customized lesson plans, activities, and resources in minutes, Shiksha copilot enables teachers to deliver more engaging and effective instruction, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

“Obviously, they like these experiments,” said veteran science and math teacher Mahalakshmi Ashok, who uses Shiksha copilot to find engaging lesson activities for her students. “Each and every class is becoming lively. The learning has become easier.”

Indeed, AI-driven innovation like Shiksha copilot is not only a time saver for educators, but it provides new avenues for student engagement and learning, democratizing education and fostering a love for learning among students.

Myntra’s AI shopping assistant: Solving the “search” problem for online retail

In the online fashion retail space, Myntra’s AI shopping assistant represents a leap forward in enhancing customer experience through generative AI. By understanding abstract user queries and offering personalized fashion recommendations, the AI assistant breaks new ground in search functionality, moving beyond keywords to understand the nuances of customer preferences.

“This is big,” said Arit Mondal, director of product management at Myntra, “Why? Because this is the first time we have a solution which is solving the unsolved ‘search’ problem in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry. And it’s live for customers at scale.”

Beyond streamlining the shopping experience, Myntra’s AI assistant reveals new possibilities for product discovery, significantly increasing the likelihood of purchase and customer satisfaction. Myntra’s success story illustrates the power of AI to understand and cater to the diverse needs of consumers, setting a new standard for personalized online retail.

Jugalbandi: Bridging language barriers with AI

The Jugalbandi project, an AI-driven chatbot initiative, showcases the transformative potential of AI in bridging language barriers and enhancing access to government services for India’s diverse population. By enabling users to interact with the chatbot in multiple languages and receive information in their local dialect, Jugalbandi democratizes access to essential public services and information, empowering individuals and communities.

“It understands your exact problem in your language and then tries to deliver the right information reliably and cheaply, even if that exists in some other language in a database somewhere,” said Abhigyan Raman, a project officer at AI4Bharat, an open-source language AI center based at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai that is a collaborator on the chatbot. “This is revolutionary for people who could not interact with tech because of language barriers.”

This initiative exemplifies the role of AI in fostering inclusivity and equity, ensuring that the benefits of technology reach every corner of society.

Air India’s AI.g: Pioneering AI in aviation customer service

Air India’s introduction of AI.g, the world’s first generative AI virtual agent in the airline industry, marks a significant milestone in leveraging AI to enhance customer service. Handling a wide array of queries across multiple domains, AI.g exemplifies the efficiency and scalability of AI in managing customer interactions, reducing the need for human intervention in routine tasks, and allowing human agents to focus on more complex issues.

“After the emergence of Large Language Model-driven Generative AI capabilities, we are increasingly seeing a definitive shift in guest preferences to use chat interactions to get the information and support they need quickly and directly as compared to browsing several web pages,” said Satya Ramaswamy, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Air India.

Air India has set a new benchmark for responsive customer service excellence in the aviation industry.

Karya’s platform narrows the digital divide while generating data

I also want to share how Karya is bridging the digital opportunity gap by providing people in India’s low-income and marginalized communities with access to AI-enabled digital work. Capitalizing on the increasing affordability of smartphones and data, Karya has developed a smartphone-based platform that integrates AI into daily life, opening up a range of language-based digital tasks to those in underserved rural areas. Serving not only as a source of income but also as a means to enhance digital literacy, Karya highlights the multiplex possibilities of AI to create economic opportunities and narrow the digital divide.

IndiGo’s 6Eskai chat assistant slashes workload for customers service agents

India’s leading airline, IndiGo, has introduced 6Eskai, an AI chat assistant built on Microsoft’s GPT-4 designed to revolutionize customer service by providing assistance in 10 languages and simplifying the ticket booking process. This initiative, developed in-house by IndiGo’s digital team in collaboration with Microsoft, has significantly reduced the workload on customer service agents by 75% and improved the efficiency of the booking journey.

“This innovative tool will offer seamless support to our passengers, providing quick and personalised assistance for their travel needs,” said Summi Sharma, Senior Vice President at IndiGo, “reflecting IndiGo’s dedication to technological advancements and customer-centric services.”

Equipped with 1.7 trillion parameters, 6Eskai offers a wide array of services, including ticket bookings, promotional discounts, and trip planning, through both type-written and voice-to-text natural language interactions, setting a new standard in airline customer service.

AI for everyone in India

The instances showcased in the blog reflect a larger story of Microsoft’s dedication to bolstering Indian enterprises through AI, fostering remarkable gains in efficiency and innovation. At the Mumbai tour, I encountered numerous business leaders who testified to the tangible benefits and significant return on investment (ROI) from AI integration. Avinash Raghavendra, President and chief information officer (CIO) of Axis Bank, remarked, “Our AI collaboration with Microsoft not only drives optimized and robust processes but also delivers employee satisfaction by providing the means to be always productive and resourceful.”

Similarly, Anup Purohit, CIO of Wipro, emphasized the transformative impact of generative and foundational AI: “Solutions such as Copilot have aligned with our objective of empowering our teams to achieve more efficient workflows and deliver high quality output. It has driven innovation and reinvention of our processes while helping us render better services to our clients.”

India is gaining attention not only for its output in terms of AI innovation but for the incoming investment it is attracting. During his visit in February 2024, Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Satya Nadella underscored the company’s dedication to bolstering India’s shift towards an AI-first economy, mirroring the country’s ambition for self-reliance through AI proficiency. Speaking at the Microsoft CEO Connection event in Mumbai, Nadella unveiled the ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative aimed at equipping 2 million Indians with AI skills by 2025, addressing the national skills shortage and positioning India as a frontrunner in the AI domain.

This initiative not only reflects Microsoft’s commitment to closing the AI skills gap but also showcases India as a pivotal center for output and a prime destination for Microsoft’s investment.

“India is uniquely positioned to make the promise of AI a reality,” said Nadella. “We are committed to partnering broadly across the public and private sector to help close the nation’s AI skills gap and create new opportunity throughout the country.” 

Indeed, India’s innovative spirit and synergistic endeavors with Microsoft stand as a powerful testament to AI’s capacity to forge a more efficient, inclusive, and innovative global future. We can expect that India will continue to lead and innovate in the AI domain, punching above its weight on the global stage.

Take the next step in your AI journey

The era of AI is a global opportunity, beckoning us as business leaders to explore, innovate, and lead the way in shaping a future where technology and humanity converge to create a better world for all.

Take the next step in your AI journey by exploring Microsoft AI solutions, diving into The AI Strategy Roadmap, and getting skilled up with Microsoft Learn’s AI learning hub to ensure you’re ready to leverage Microsoft AI to its fullest potential.

Footnotes

¹The Economic Times, India to become USD 5 trillion economy, third-largest by 2027: RBI DG Patra.

²Reuters, India’s AI market seen touching $17 bln by 2027, notes Nasscom-BCG report.

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