AI has been back on the front pages in 2023, and seems to inducing a combination of panic and the sort of “irrational exuberance” not seen since the dotcom boom. In the context of telecom, which response is the right one? In this episode, we get the perspective of a true veteran of AI in telecom (and new recruit to Appledore), Roman Ferrando, Patrick Kelly summarizes the market progress of AI in telecom to date – use cases and notable adoptees – and separates froth from meaningful progress. And yes: we do look at #AIwashing and offer some advice on companies in telecom (operators and vendors) can avoid running into AI trouble.