TM Forum and Accenture have launched a multi-year initiative to help the telecom industry scale artificial intelligence and autonomous operations with greater confidence. The programme will focus on making AI trust measurable through common benchmarks for governance, workforce readiness and operational accountability.
The initiative will also introduce what TM Forum describes as the industryโs first Trustworthy AI Governance Certification, designed to provide a practical standard for assessing the maturity of AI governance and the ability of organisations to deploy autonomous systems responsibly. The programme will focus on several areas:
- A common framework for measuring trustworthy AI across telecom operations
- Guidance for AI design, deployment and continuous monitoring
- Industry benchmarks and AI trust level validations
- Training and certification pathways to strengthen workforce readiness
“Trust enables autonomy to scale, but trustworthiness only becomes operational when every principle is supported by continuous, verifiable evidence. This program gives the industry a common blueprint to turn trust from a promise into a measurable capability. TM Forum brings the industry together to define the standards, while Accenture brings the experience of putting them into practice. Together, we’re creating the foundation for the autonomous enterprise,” said Guy Lupo, EVP, Trustworthy AI and Data, TM Forum.
Trustworthy AI Governance for Telecom Operations
The initiative comes as telecom operators face growing pressure to demonstrate measurable business outcomes from AI while maintaining accountability and control over increasingly autonomous systems.
TM Forum said recent research found that 72% of communication service providers believe their AI capabilities are trustworthy, while only 14% can verify those claims. The new programme is intended to address that gap by establishing evidence-based criteria that organisations can use to assess, benchmark and scale autonomous operations. Key elements of the initiative include:
- Measuring trust consistently through a common framework
- Strengthening operational control through best-practice guidance
- Benchmarking trust maturity and identifying critical gaps
- Building workforce readiness through training and certification
The programme will operate through TM Forumโs AI-Native Collaboration Studios, bringing together communication service providers, vendors, hyperscalers, consultancies and other industry participants. The AI-Native Open Digital Architecture will provide the standards-based foundation for collaborative development and validation.
“Agentic AI marks a fundamental shift from AI supporting decisions to AI making decisions. As those systems take on more responsibility across critical business functions, organizations need practical ways to govern AI, manage risk and build confidence in its outcomes. Our collaboration is designed to help turn trustworthy AI from a strategic ambition into an operational reality,” said Arnab Chakraborty, Chief Responsible AI Officer, Accenture.
Scaling Autonomous Operations with Measurable Trust
The programme will provide telecom companies with a practical blueprint for moving from AI principles toward operational implementation. Participating organisations will contribute real-world use cases, transformation experiences and implementation insights to help shape and validate the Trustworthy AI framework.
The initiative is designed to support organisations in assessing governance maturity, accelerating AI adoption while maintaining operational control, prioritising investment using industry benchmarks and strengthening enterprise-wide AI capabilities through training and certification.
The Trustworthy AI initiative will also be featured through TM Forumโs Innovate Americas programme, where industry leaders will examine how accountability, transparency and control can be embedded into AI systems operating in real-world telecom environments.