Transforming Customer Experience: ZTE's Insights on Agentic AI at AI Innovation Asia 2025

ZTE's Vision on Agentic AI at AI Innovation Asia 2025

On December 8, 2025, ZTE Corporation's Chief Development Officer, Cui Li, took center stage at the "AI Innovation Asia 2025" conference organized by Economist Impact.

During a roundtable discussion titled "How Can AI Assist You? Agentic AI and Customer Experience", Cui Li articulated ZTE's strategic vision regarding agentic AI, highlighting its transformative impact on customer experiences and operational models across enterprises. She emphasized the significance of preparing for an era dominated by agentic AI, which is fundamentally reshaping organizational frameworks for resilience, oversight, and accountability at ZTE.

The Impact of Agentic AI on Customer Experience

Cui Li began by exploring the effects of agentic AI on user experiences, asserting that this technology redefines everything from responses to understanding and co-creation. ZTE's strategy encompasses integrating agentic AI in four critical domains: networking, computing, home systems, and personal devices. For instance, ZTE has collaborated with China Mobile to develop autonomous networks that facilitate real-time problem detection and self-repair, significantly reducing troubleshooting delays by 47%.

Strategic Transformation Through Digital Autonomy

Cui explained that we currently exist in a climate of great uncertainty that necessitates a focus on building resilience amidst unpredictability. This requires organizations to be agile, capable of recognizing shifts and adapting without delay, which involves transitioning from a mechanical to an organic and adaptive structure. The discourse on how AI can enhance capabilities is pivotal; large AI models demonstrate performance levels on par with or exceeding doctoral standards. Agentic AI pushes this forward by adding a memory component and capabilities that enable real-world applications.

However, Cui also acknowledged that the technology is still burgeoning, facing numerous technical hurdles. The key to realizing AI's potential lies in a long-term commitment to embracing digital transformation. For ZTE, this journey commenced in 2016, transitioning to intelligent operations by 2022, emphasizing a systematic top-down planning process that balances hardware and software investments, thus laying a foundation for innovative breakthroughs.

Oversight and Accountability in AI

Cui underscored the necessity of human oversight as AI systems increasingly make autonomous decisions regarding accountability and digital sovereignty. The role of humans in crucial tasks—design, review, decision-making, and supervision—cannot be overstated. Automation should serve as a facilitator rather than an end goal. The potential risks don't stem from replacement but from humans becoming absent in these critical processes.

Moreover, she pointed out that deploying AI requires a deep integration with organizational expertise, addressing considerations like accuracy, security, compliance, and clear accountability. Drawing from her insights at ZTE, she advised companies to develop in-house knowledge engineering projects and specifically tailored large models, as well as to focus on solving concrete problems with their agents.

Future Perspectives on Agentic AI

Looking ahead, Cui Li visualizes agentic AI evolving to produce integrated business partners, transitioning from task-based automation to more complex interactions. As agentic AI is still in its nascent stages, ambitious goals for the next 12 to 24 months include enhancing capabilities to manage multi-tasking and adapting in intricate environments.

Adopting AI is imperative for organizations, which should not only think about connecting APIs but also consider how AI alters processes, structures, and team dynamics. Immediate actions include focusing on high-value scenarios for rapid iterations and mastery of AI, pushing companies to rethink their talent strategies.

Ultimately, Cui envisions a future where 'human-AI symbiosis' becomes the norm, leading to an environment where AI meaningfully contributes to human endeavors while facilitating ongoing transformation in digital landscapes.

The "AI Innovation Asia 2025" conference serves as an elite platform uniting business leaders, technology visionaries, and policymakers. Featuring over 40 expert perspectives across 15 thematic sessions, it emphasizes cutting-edge technologies such as generative power and agentic AI to assist businesses in realizing sustainable digital transformation in Asia-Pacific's complex market.