A survey of 985 mobile industry professionals conducted at Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC) indicates that organisations are moving beyond experimentation with Conversational AI, as deployments begin to deliver measurable results and reshape approaches to customer engagement.
The research, conducted by Twilio, the customer engagement platform that drives real-time, personalised experiences for today’s leading brands, found that 60% of respondents are already actively using Conversational AI, while a further 24% are piloting or planning deployments, signalling strong momentum among organisations.
From adoption to impact
Among active users at MWC, the benefits are increasingly clear. Six in ten (60%) report transformational improvements to customer communications, while 82% cite positive value – from measurable ROI to efficiency gains and time savings.
For many organisations represented in the research, this highlights a shift from early-stage testing to practical, results-driven deployment.
Peter Bell, EMEA VP of Marketing at Twilio, said: “At MWC this year, the conversation around AI felt notably different. The focus has shifted from experimentation to execution – how to operationalise it within customer engagement strategies, scale it effectively, and integrate it into everyday interactions across channels.
“What’s emerging is a more mature approach, where success is defined not just by innovation, but the ability to deliver seamless, personalised customer experiences, backed by strong governance and real business impact.”
Confidence is growing with experience
The findings highlight a strong link between adoption and trust.
Among respondents already using Conversational AI, 93% feel some degree of confidence in their governance and data protection frameworks (with 53% expressing high levels of confidence). Confidence levels are notably lower (28%) among those currently not using the technology.
While some organisations remain in earlier stages, hesitation appears to be driven more by practical challenges than fundamental concerns. Security and privacy considerations (20%), alongside complexity and access to expertise (17%) and deployment costs (17%), are cited as key barriers.
In addition, 31% of respondents not currently using Conversational AI report having no major concerns, suggesting that many may simply need clearer implementation pathways and support to move forward.
Looking ahead
Expectations for AI-driven customer engagement are continuing to rise among those surveyed at MWC
Nearly six in ten (59%) expect at least a quarter of customer journeys to be handled by autonomous AI agents within the next 12 months, highlighting Conversational AI’s anticipated growth in the near future.
Any scepticism of the technology’s future is largely concentrated among respondents without direct experience of the technology, indicating that adoption itself may play a key role in future perceptions.
