You don’t have to go far these days to find a product or service that claims to be powered by artificial intelligence technology – every sector from fashion to food to retailing has tried to borrow a bit of the technology sector’s halo effect.

So it’s not surprising that Vicki Brady’s declaration in February that she wanted to turn Telstra into an “AI-fuelled organisation” was greeted with more than a little scepticism – after all, Telstra chief executives have been prone to making big calls early in their tenure.