Enterprise Ecosystems

Telcos must absorb AI internally before customers can benefit: Globe CEO

Telcos must embrace AI internally before customers can benefit: Globe CEO

Globe Telecom CEO and president Carl Cruz says the key to telcos cashing in on AI is to embrace it, internalise it and make it foundational to their business operations before offering it to customers. It also helps if the population is highly digital, like the Philippines.

In a keynote at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2026 on Wednesday, Cruz told delegates that the mobile sector is shifting from an infrastructure game to a value creation game.

“In an AI-driven world, connectivity alone is never going to be enough. What increasingly sets organizations apart is how quickly they can turn technology into real value,” Cruz said. “AI gives businesses the opportunity to move faster, make better decisions, create more personalized experiences, and solve problems in ways that were not possible in the past.”

However, unlocking that potential isn’t a matter of launching AI-powered features or isolated use cases – it requires building the capabilities, operating models and the shared foundation needed to scale AI responsibly and sustainably.

“Ultimately, AI is an organizational transformation,” Cruz said. “AI must be embedded into how we operate as a business with clear accountability, strong governance, and a long-term view of value creation.”

Cruz said a significant step for Globe’s AI journey was its decision in 2024 to appoint its CISO, Anton Bonifacio, as the telco’s first Chief AI Officer to oversee the new AI Development and Enablement Group (AIDE), which spearheads Globe's AI initiatives.

“By bringing together AI, data, cybersecurity, and data privacy under one leadership role, we are ensuring that innovation and trust advance together,” Cruz said.

That central leadership role helps integrate AI into Globe’s enterprise-wide transformation priorities and customer-facing initiatives, as well as get Globe employees involved in the AI transformation journey, Cruz added. One facet of that is Globe’s AI Advocates Guild, whose members are employees tasked with training other staff on GenAI tools.

Meanwhile, this foundational approach also enabled Globe to uncover more areas that need to be optimized, and identify key drivers to ensure AI has a real impact across the enterprise, Cruz said – namely, data foundations that make information more accessible, trusted, and usable across the organization; intelligent and autonomous capabilities; redesigning workflows to embed AI; helping employees develop AI fluency; and strong governance, security, and responsible AI practices.

Digitally engaged customers are AI-ready

All of that provides the necessary foundation to extend AI to Globe’s customers to make it more accessible, useful, and relevant to their everyday lives, Cruz said adding that it helps that the Philippines is one of the most digitally engaged populations in the world, with nearly 98 million internet users, 142 million mobile connections, and close to 91 million social media user identities.

“More importantly, digital technology is already deeply embedded in how Filipinos communicate, learn, work, transact, and connect with one another,” Cruz said. “This means AI is not arriving in a market that is still learning how to be digital. It’s arriving in a society that is already connected, highly mobile, and increasingly comfortable engaging with technology every day.”

Cruz shared two examples of practical AI-based offerings Globe has launched – a partnership with AI Fiesta to make multiple AI platforms easier to access, and adding AI to its Globe Cloud storage service to make photos, videos, and digital content easier to organize and locate.

Ultimately, Cruz said, it pays for telcos to remember that AI is not an end in itself, but a means to serve customers better, make smarter decisions, strengthen competitiveness, and unlock new growth opportunities.

“Being an AI-powered Globe is not about using AI everywhere – it is about using AI where it matters most,” he said. “That’s why we see AI not only as an efficiency driver flow, but as a catalyst for innovation and growth. The possibilities are immense, and we are just getting started.”



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