Liberty Global has signed a three-year strategic partnership with Sierra to deploy conversational AI across its European operating companies, with Virgin Media O2 first to put the technology into its customer service.
The agreement provides Liberty Global’s businesses with a common platform for AI agents capable of handling customer interactions through voice, chat and text. The group plans a phased deployment across approximately 80 million fixed and mobile connections in Europe, with individual operators determining their own use cases.
“Sierra has built a game-changing platform that we are excited to deploy across our footprint,” said Mike Fries, Liberty Global Chairman and CEO. “By combining Sierra’s technology and deployment expertise with the deep knowledge of our local teams, we will deliver better customer experience across our group by making customer journeys simpler, faster and more effective.”
In the UK, Virgin Media O2 has launched a Sierra-powered AI voice agent to handle selected broadband fault calls. Initially covering a small proportion of call volumes, it is intended to resolve routine problems while directing more complicated or sensitive cases to customer service staff.
Customers will retain the option of speaking to a human advisor, while Virgin Media O2 says it will monitor the AI-handled calls and use customer feedback as the deployment develops.
“This is about supporting our people, not replacing them,” said Alan Stott, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2. “By using AI to help with routine journeys, we can give customers faster support where it makes sense, while freeing up our advisors to focus on the complex, sensitive and human moments where their expertise and experience make the biggest difference.”
Virgin Media O2 is already using AI elsewhere in its customer service operation. Its Lumi AI system analyses customer conversations in real time and provides human advisors with prompts and insights based on previous interactions.
The operator has also established a UK-based team of more than 500 agents specialising in complex cases, including complaints, bereavement and support for vulnerable customers.
Sierra was founded by Bret Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce and current chairman of OpenAI, and former Google executive Clay Bavor. Liberty Global said the company was valued at $15 billion following its latest funding round in May 2026.
Taylor said Liberty Global’s deployment would initially focus on defined customer-service applications before expanding over time.
The Liberty Global agreement positions the Virgin Media O2 launch as part of a wider group rollout rather than a standalone UK initiative, with Sierra’s AI agents ultimately intended to support customer interactions across Liberty Global’s European businesses.
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