Orange OpenTech 2024: AI is here

• AI
• Cybersecurity
• Networks
• Open innovation
• Technology

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Orange’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Bruno Zerbib, set the tone right from the get-go. In his Keynote opening session, he appeared alongside his own clone: a hyper-realistic AI-enhanced avatar (I must admit, this kind of happening is right up my street). It was a tangible illustration of the revolution currently underway, which Orange intends to take advantage of by playing a part that only it can. “There can be no large-scale artificial intelligence without the networks that can provide the necessary connectivity,” said Zerbib. And just like that, we were off: for three days of conferences, round tables and demonstrations, much to the delight of my geeky little heart.

Open innovation

This year’s keyword was “open” (from Orange OpenTech). Orange believes that its 750 in-house researchers will be more relevant than ever if they collaborate with external players, as this will allow them to build on the latest technological advances. With this in mind, the carrier announced its partnership with OpenAI and Meta to develop AI models in African languages. This was not its only major announcement: Orange also revealed the launch of its Live Intelligence generative AI solution aimed at businesses that promises to analyze documents and summarize emails or meetings, while ensuring strict data security. The idea is a simple one: To provide a reliable and personalized artificial intelligence solution that avoids the frequent “hallucinations” associated with most generative models on the market. The attendees I spoke to on-site confirmed the importance of this pragmatic and secure approach, which meets the actual needs of businesses looking to boost productivity with such tools.

5G GenAI Assistant: revolutionizing 5G deployment

Beyond the talks and announcements, the main purpose of this event is to put practical use cases right in front of people’s eyes through numerous demos. Of the 45 demos given, 5 really caught my attention. No prizes for guessing that they all revolved around AI. Let’s start with the “5G GenAI Assistant” demo, which struck me as a truly disruptive innovation. This system leverages generative AI to ramp up the rollout of 5G networks on the Orange infrastructure. What used to take several hours and be subject to human error can now be seamlessly and reliably achieved in a matter of minutes. A feat that demonstrates how innovation and operational efficiency can come together when AI is put at the heart of the technical process.

GenGraph RCA: advanced prediction and maintenance

This was another impressive presentation: “GenGraph RCA,” a network digital twin designed to optimize maintenance and detect faults in Orange’s network. Using generative AI and graph-based techniques, this system identifies faults, analyzes the relevant alarms and provides a record of previous incidents. This system significantly reduces downtime, thereby improving customer satisfaction. This is a perfect illustration of the benefit of AI as a maintenance tool in an industrial environment.

LeakTrails: tracking cyber threats

Cybersecurity is a particular concern of mine. In this regard, I was interested in ThreatNet, an internal Orange cybersecurity platform that analyzes millions of events in real time, thanks to a dynamic knowledge base and advanced customization capabilities, in order to identify and block cyberattacks. For me, the “LeakTrails” demo also spoke volumes. This ambitious project aims to track leaked credentials on the web, dark web and instant messaging apps, in order to alert the businesses affected that they have potentially been compromised as soon as possible. With this solution, Orange intends to position itself as a trusted player in preventing cyberattacks, which are a growing threat in our ultra-connected world. The very well-attended LeakTrails demo showed how this technology could quickly identify and report potential vulnerabilities, thus offering businesses an invaluable head start in the fight against cyber threats.

À La Carte Home: Livebox apps

As I wandered on, I came to a stop at the “À La Carte Home” demo stand, which explored what customized connected services for the home might look like in the future. This is an unprecedented enhancement of Livebox services via the download of new applications using the prpl operating system. This innovation is paving the way for tailor-made connected services. During the demo, an application that filters inappropriate content was downloaded from the “À La Carte Home” store. In the near future, this could include tools to optimize household energy consumption.

Orange TV GenAI Voice Interaction: AI — TV nights’ newest guest

Finally, I found myself quite literally gripped by a stand presenting a very promising consumer app. I think we all know the feeling of wasting a crazy amount of time searching for a show that’s to our tastes only to never quite find what we’re looking for. Am I right? Well, the answer to our problem is five short words: “Orange TV GenAI Voice Interaction.” This solution, developed by an Orange team based in Romania, gives users a revolutionary way to search for shows via Livebox TV using conversational AI. For example, you might say aloud: “Show me that movie where one of the characters says ‘I am your father’” and the system will immediately suggest the corresponding episode (I’ll let you guess what that is based on your own knowledge of film). This level of interactivity opens up exciting new avenues for accessing multimedia content, making the user experience much more fun and intuitive.

A trusted and responsible AI

The ultimate takeaway from these three days of the Orange OpenTech fair is a use-focused dynamic of innovation, which takes full advantage of the latest advances in artificial intelligence. From my discussions with Orange researchers and managers, I perceived a real desire to create value using AI, while respecting the environmental and ethical constraints of European and global frameworks. This is particularly true for applications for businesses, which strive to uphold a responsible and inclusive approach. Now more than ever, Orange is positioning itself as a carrier capable of developing trusted, transparent and ethical AI that is aligned with current societal expectations.

Wrap-up

• More than 45 technology demos, including 25 based on AI.
• Major announcements, including the partnership with OpenAI and Meta to develop African language models.

Value-added solutions, ranging from digital-twin-based maintenance to cybersecurity and service customization, while respecting environmental and ethical constraints.