Huawei’s Wang Tao: Nearly 3 Billion AI Robots Expected in Factories and Homes Globally by 2030

At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2025, Huawei’s rotating chairman, outlined a compelling vision for the future, urging the industry to embrace the transformative potential of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and collaborative efforts to unlock the full promise of the mobile AI era.

The rollout of 5G-A is accelerating rapidly. This year alone, over 50 commercial 5G-A networks are expected to be deployed, spanning more than 300 cities globally. This rapid expansion is supported by a mature ecosystem of 5G-A devices, including smartphones, CPEs, and a wide array of IoT devices, fueling new opportunities for both individual consumers and enterprises.

The pace of mobile AI adoption is exceeding expectations. The surge in AI-powered devices is remarkable, with AI smartphone shipments reaching a cumulative 360 million units by the first quarter of this year. Further illustrating this trend, 70% of newly shipped terminals now boast native AI capabilities.

Generative AI is experiencing explosive growth, with daily token usage reaching a staggering ten trillion, representing a thousandfold increase year-over-year. Moreover, an impressive 90% of the top 100 global applications have integrated generative AI, spanning social media, entertainment, and education. These applications now collectively boast a user base exceeding 1.2 billion monthly active users.

In the realm of personal communications, the mobile AI era is ushering in a shift from app-centric experiences to agent-centric models. This evolution envisions dedicated intelligent assistants for every individual. Projections suggest that by 2030, nearly ten billion personal AI agents will reshape user interaction across the globe.

This transformation includes a move towards cross-application personalization of interaction, cross-device and cross-modal experiences. As the capabilities of these agents continue to evolve, they will become integral to society, redefining how people live and interact with their world.

Simultaneously, the convergence of AI and IoT is creating significant opportunities in the industrial IoT sector, making IoT the gateway to a truly intelligent world. Developments in AI-driven robotics and smart vehicles are driving the expansion of connected devices. Looking ahead, it’s estimated that by 2030, the addition of over 80 million connected vehicles annually and almost three billion AI-enhanced robots will transform factories and households. These applications are also extending into new sectors like the low-altitude economy.

This confluence of technologies is poised to deliver exponential growth. By 2030, AI-IoT is expected to generate a tenfold increase in both connection volumes and overall value, solidifying its role as the central access point for the intelligent world.