- Verizon is handing more of its AI overhaul to Google Cloud
- The move will push Gemini Enterprise deep inside Verizon’s platforms
- The partnership builds on an existing relationship the pair had around fiber connectivity
Verizon has booked itself an AI facelift, tapping Google Cloud to provide full stack AI and data capabilities and roll out Gemini Enterprise across the organization.
The collaboration appears to include three main pillars. The pair are revitalizing Verizon’s customer experiences with Gemini for automated issue resolution. They’re also tapping Google Cloud’s data platform to help predict and solve network anomalies. Its marketing department is also getting a boost with new platforms, automated content creation and campaign orchestration.
Across the organization, Gemini Enterprise will be used for agent orchestration and employee productivity.
Verizon pitched the partnership as a way to improve the customer experience. But it remains to be seen how subscribers will take it. A recent report from Survey Monkey found consumers are not thrilled about AI and 82% still prefer human support even when AI performs well.
AI opportunity
Zooming out, though, the move appears to be part of Verizon’s CEO Dan Schulman’s efforts to overhaul the company, in part with big investments in AI.
In April, Schulman said Verizon’s AI tech stack was comprised of four layers: a data and intelligence layer; a development layer where it generates agents; a runtime layer; and a control plane layer for security, guardrails, observability and traceability.
Given Schulman said development of its AI tech stack would be “substantially complete” by July, it’s not clear how much of what it is doing with Google Cloud is new or simply supplementing what it was already working on. A spokesperson said neither company was available for comment on the partnership.
It’s also worth noting that Verizon’s relationship with Google Cloud extends beyond software.
The operator announced in Q2 that it had inked a $1 billion deal with Google Cloud to provide fiber connectivity to its data centers via its AI Connect initiative.
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