Large Language Models and AI Agents in Telecom: Two Empirical Studies on Emerging AI Trends in the GCC Region

Needless to say, the telecommunications industry is experiencing a fundamental shift driven by artificial intelligence. In telecom, AI agents are used for network optimization, fraud detection, predictive maintenance, and resource allocation. This paper presents two separate empirical studies conducted by the authors – one for the LLM side and other for the use of AI Agents in the Telecom industry in particular to enhance efficiency. The first study currently under review, we surveyed 123 telecom professionals on LLM integration. Furthermore, in a previously published study, we surveyed 93 senior telecom professionals related to the GCC telecommunication industry on AI agent adoption. Both studies used quantitative survey methods and drew respondents from senior telecom professionals with ten or more years of industry experience. The findings from both studies independently confirm that these AI technologies are delivering measurable business value. LLM integration showed strong positive effects on business performance improvement, while AI agents demonstrated significant impacts on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Together, these studies indicate that the telecom sector in the GCC is actively adopting AI technologies and realizing benefits across cost reduction, service quality, and financial performance.