The artificial intelligence (AI) has become the clear protagonist of this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC), dethroning the metaverse and the advances of 5G that have been relegated to the background. And this technology, more specifically Generative AI, was present in every corner of the pavilions of the Gran Via of Fira de Barcelona, not only in mobile phones, but also in other devices such as robot dogs, cameras with improved performance or even in applications to avoid spam calls or find lost dogs and cats.
«AI is probably the most profound revolution in the history of humanity. For the first time, humans are creating technology that can think. It is a game changer, and it needs our networks,” said the president of the GSMA telecommunications association and Telefónica, José María Álvarez-Pallete. So much so that By 2030, artificial intelligence is expected to contribute more than €14.7 trillion to the global economy.
Likewise, “Generative AI (GenAI) is about to revolutionize the way we work, live and interact,” they explained from the GSMA. Such is the importance of this technology that, according to the survey of managers carried out by the employers' association, 70% of respondents expect Generative AI to “significantly” change the way their company creates value in the next three years.
However, despite this situation, only 35% of business leaders said they were focused on the governance of AI systems and processes.
Samsung at its MWC stand wanted to show how in this new mobile era of AI it focuses on “staying at the forefront of maximizing information.” Thanks to this technology, the company has created a series of tools to monitor “comfortable, continuous and precise” health such as Samsung Health or the Galaxy Ring. Thusits 64 million monthly active users will be able to receive more personalized information and tailored health experiences.
South Korean telecommunications company SK Telecom also bets on Generative AI as it presented V.Stella, a personal assistant that recognizes the face and movementswho can talk and solve problems thanks to ChatGPT.
This technology can also be used to find lost animals so they can be reunited with their owners. This is the bet of the company PetNow Inc., which presented its new PetWayHome application at the MWC and is scheduled to be launched in the second quarter of 2024.
This app not only uses biometric technology to identify dogs and cats by their noses and faces, but also performs automated measurement of size and breed classification, as well as notifications with location information based on zip code. “The Added technology is introduced to avoid potential human errors by allowing them to manually enter data into their pets' profiles», explained the company's CEO, Jesse Joonho Lim. In this way, the Korean startup aims to “build a world without lost animals.”
In addition, AI also allows us to identify spam calls in real time and notify users. “Our solution also supports rich IDs for calls from companies or public institutions, allowing us to increase confidence in business calls,” explained software company ng-voice CEO David Bachmann.
Exceeds expectations
The Mobile World Congress was preparing this edition to welcome up to 96,000 visitors to the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue. Nevertheless, The technology fair exceeded its own expectations and in four days of “vibrant discussion and networking” it received more than 101,000 attendees coming from 205 countries and territories, as reported by GSMA. In this way, the event has remained close to the record of 109,000 visitors that were registered in the year before the coronavirus pandemic.
In it This year's MWC had more than 2,700 exhibitors, sponsors and partners; and they have also exceeded 1,100 speakers, among which 40% have been women.
He The Spanish Pavilion, for its part, has broken its attendance record this year with around 10,000 visitors., 25% more than in the 2023 edition, as reported by the Ministry for Digital Transformation. In addition to these visits, around 7,000 users accessed the contents of this pavilion virtually. Thanks to its presence at the technological event of the year, The 45 co-exhibiting companies in the pavilion will generate business worth 12.5 million euros after an “intense” agenda with “more than 1,500 meetings with more than 2,000 professional contacts.”
In general terms, 59% of Mobile World Congress attendees were from mobile ecosystem industries; and more than half of the visitors were at management level and above, and of them, 26% were women.
In addition, Nearly 2,600 journalists and sector analysts from all over the world attended which is considered “the largest and most influential global event on connectivity”, as explained by the GSMA.
The ministerial program of the telecommunications employers' association brought together more than 180 delegations from 140 countries, including two heads of statemore than 70 ministers, nearly 120 heads of regulatory authorities and more than 40 intergovernmental organizations.
For its part, 4YFN, the parallel startup fair, has celebrated its tenth anniversary by welcoming 930 exhibitors450 speakers and more than 1,000 investors with collective funds worth 50 billion euros.
«We are honored to host this very special event that, once again, has offered four exceptional days of debate, thought leadership, inspiration and deal-making. Our thanks to everyone who attended this year's edition,” he celebrated. the CEO of the GSMA,John Hoffman, who also wanted to emphasize that “Barcelona has delivered again.”