MWC discusses artificial intelligence, metaverse and telecom – 02/26/2023 – Tech

The MWC (Mobile World Congress) returns to Barcelona between this Monday (27) and Thursday (2) with the theme of “speed”, inspired by 5G.

The event, one of the most important technology events in the world, is focused on the telecommunications sector and traditionally brings together tens of thousands of people to discuss the digital future. It is organized by the GSMA, the entity that brings together the teles.

In an interview with the official newspaper of the congress, the CEO of the GSMA, John Hoffmann, explained that the choice of this year’s theme is due to the acceleration on several fronts related to the new generation of telephony, such as the changes brought about by connectivity. “5G has seen the fastest adoption in history,” he said.

This year, the list of speakers includes names like Jose Maria-Alvarez Pallete, CEO of Telefónica and a fixture at the congress, and Greg Peters, chief executive of Netflix.

Again, the metaverse appears among the main subjects of the MWC. Because it demands a lot from the telephony infrastructure, this is a pop term in several panels of the event.

The word has become fashionable in tech discussions in recent years and is on the lips of all the major companies in the sector, largely driven by Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram.

It is a new way of consuming digital content and interacting with the internet. Instead of looking at a screen, things are also seen through virtual reality and augmented reality – creating a kind of virtual universe.

One of the criticisms of analysts heard by the MWC organization is the slowness in the adoption of metaverse ideas in practice, in relation to the expectation generated when the term began to gain prominence. Some of these ideas already exist in practice, but it is more of a bet for the future.

In addition, artificial intelligence (in the wake of advances such as ChatGPT) and the impact of technology on the environment stand out.

PUBLIC

The 2023 edition comes with the expectation of an increase in the public compared to 2022, the first of large proportions after the start of the pandemic, but still with participation below previous years.

Unlike last year, the MWC will not have any type of health restriction. Arguing to be in line with local rules, the GSMA, the entity that brings together the teles and organizes the event, will not even require vaccination from participants.

According to the GSMA, the public expectation this year is to have more than 80,000 people, from 180 countries, in addition to 2,000 exhibitors. An increase compared to last year, with 61,000 participants, but still below the 109,000 of 2019, the last pre-pandemic edition.