TOBi, Vodafone Ireland’s award-winning AI-powered self-service assistant, might still be getting to grips with Irish phrases like 'acting the maggot' or 'sucking diesel' but it is already doing the hard work behind the scenes, helping customers 24/7 with top-ups, billing queries and much more.
TOBi now resolves 60% of customer service queries without the need to talk to someone, a milestone in AI-led customer care
New research conducted amongst 1,000 people on behalf of Vodafone Ireland by Coyne Research shows that AI has officially been adopted by consumers and has become an everyday tool.
Almost half of all Irish adults (48%) now use AI weekly, with usage rising to 66% among Gen Z, nearly a quarter of whom use it every day.
One in three people are already using AI for customer service, while one in five rely on it to help write something, whether it's an email, college assignment or social post.
Two in five consumers (40%) now claim to have a good understanding of AI technology, evidence that awareness of AI is growing rapidly.
Confidence is even stronger among men, with nearly half of males (48%) believing they have a good or very good grasp of what AI can do.
This rising confidence is reflected in overall experience as 40% of consumers say their interactions with AI have been positive, signalling a major shift in how the technology has moved from a niche innovation to a routine part of how people in Ireland work, communicate, and solve problems.
Vodafone Ireland is also addressing uniquely Irish challenges through TOBi's ongoing development, as it constantly learns to understand Irish accents and Irishisms.
With three in five survey respondents acknowledging their own difficulties in understanding certain Irish accents (particularly Kerry, Cork, and Donegal), TOBi is being specially trained to recognise regional dialects and local expressions, from 'banjaxed' to 'acting the maggot.'
Interestingly, one in three people believe AI can understand Irishisms, such as 'grand' or 'c’mere to me' – though 'banjaxed' (60%), 'sucking diesel' (59%) and 'acting the maggot' (52%) were named the most confusing for both AI and people alike to understand. Gen Z and Dubliners are the most confident that AI like TOBi is catching on to these Irishisms.
The development of TOBi is part of Vodafone Ireland’s broader €10million investment in enhancing its customer care experience, resolving common customer queries and expanding care channels to ensure faster, more flexible help for customers. As a result, Vodafone Ireland now offers the longest customer care hours and the largest retail footprint in the market, as well as the only 24/7 AI resolution option available from any Irish telecoms provider.
