True Digital Group, a digital business arm of telecom operator True Corporation, has highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence (AI), saying this emerging technology can empower various sectors, ranging from healthcare and retail to agriculture.
True Digital Group said it will work with hospitals to offload some work from health staff in public hospitals by using AI, while supporting telemedicine and a smart system that can deal with emergency response tasks to help patients.
"We see development to where humans can work with AI. True embraces this technology as part of its engine for growth, affecting both our business and the country," said Natwut Amornvivat, president of True Digital Group.
He was speaking at "Beyond the AI in the Room: AI and the Future of Business", part of a seminar organised by the MIT Media Lab, which is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. The event was jointly supported by True and other partners.
Mr Natwut said AI can help ease some tasks shouldered by people and improve their work effectiveness.
True targets AI usage in three business sectors: healthcare, retail and agriculture.
True is working with leading public hospitals, including Siriraj Hospital and Ramathibodi Hospital, to support the use of technology to empower their work.
"Embracing AI will offload some non-critical tasks, like administrative work, to give nurses more time to work on important tasks, such as taking care of patients," he said. "The technology can also be used to reduce wait time for patients at hospitals."
In 2023, "True Voice" AI will be used for appointments and is expected to handle at least 50% of the incoming phone calls to hospitals, said Mr Natwut. Voice AI is now mainly used in the telecom and banking sectors.
The company offers a True Health Kiosk solution where patients can have their blood tested at kiosks at Lotus's and Makro shopping centres. After they receive the results, they can have tele-consultation with doctors and receive medicine at home.
"We worked with Ramathibodi Hospital on this model and plan to expand it to more locations," he said.
True worked with Siriraj Hospital to develop the "SAVER" (smart approach for vital emergency responses) system that leverages AI to recommend nearby hospitals for patients with health emergencies and alerts rescue teams for help.
True Digital is developing its own technology to support business users with digital solutions, said Mr Natwut.
"We also invest and acquire local and foreign startups through our own fund," he said.
On the agriculture front, AI can support smart farms, including irrigation systems via the use of drones, smart collars for cows, coughing detection for swine and automated feeding for shrimp.
These solutions can support True's parent CP Group and help other farmers, said Mr Natwut.
