Orange CEO Says AI Brings Efficiency Gains—but Humans Must Stay Central

Orange Group CEO Christel Heydemann used the company's 2024 earnings call to highlight the financial benefits AI is bringing—while firmly rejecting the idea that AI should ever replace human employees.

Addressing concerns about workforce impact, Heydemann emphasized that "the technology is really far from replacing humans," adding that "it will never actually replace humans, or it should not replace humans." Rather, she said, AI is enabling greater efficiency in departments such as presales, customer service, and developer operations, with the aim of enriching employee roles not rendering them obsolete.

Orange expects AI to generate more than €300 million in operational efficiencies during 2025—through cost savings, increased productivity, and optimized capital delays—and plans to nearly double that impact toward €600 million by year-end.

At the same time, Orange is managing workforce change carefully. The company has extended its voluntary early retirement scheme, which may see around 6,000 eligible employees opt to leave. Heydemann stated this is not a headcount target but a measure alongside new hiring commitments, particularly in roles supporting the AI transformation.

Beyond efficiency gains, Orange is advancing sustainability and broader innovation partnerships. A collaboration with Mistral AI was spotlighted during the call, with integration of products such as Le Chat Pro and Codestral into Orange Business' Live Intelligence offerings. Additionally, the company reported an 11% reduction in Scope 3 emissions since 2018, and reaffirmed its commitment to achieving a 45% emissions reduction target by 2030 (vs. 2020).

Financial results offered modest growth: Orange posted 1.2% revenue increase year-over-year (on a comparable basis), with its adjusted EBITDAaL rising by 2.7% to €12.1 billion. Regional performance varied, with strong growth in the Africa & Middle East segment and signs of improvement in some European markets.

In sum, Orange is pushing ahead with AI to streamline operations and drive efficiency—but establishing a firm principle: AI is a tool to support—not supplant—the people who power the business.