My eleventh Mobile World Congress (MWC 2025) was, in some ways, the most important one I’ve ever attended. Not because any breathtaking products were presented, nor even because of the discovery of a technology destined to change the world, but because Barcelona was once again the centre of the tech world. This is not something to be taken for granted because the post-Covid period has been tough for everyone, including the Catalan trade fair. In previous years, the lustre of the past had disappeared; there were far fewer professionals arriving in Spain compared to pre-COVID editions, and the feeling of a gradual downsizing was in the air.
This time, however, there was a countertrend because the 2,700 exhibitors present at the Fira attracted more than 100,000 visitors. It doesn’t matter if the number is lower than the 110,000 participants registered in 2019 because the important thing is to put technological evolution back at the centre of the scene. More than the new products, some interesting, others less so and many others a potential déjà vu, what is significant is the presence of the most important global companies, such as Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi (many curious people at the latter’s stand to see the SU7 Ultra, the sportier version of the first electric car made by the Beijing company). With them a long list of the main telecommunications companies, some companies for the first time in Barcelona, such as China Unicom, and staying with Asia, influential cloud computing brands such as Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud.
AI improves us
At a world-class trade fair, AI once again took centre stage. This is because all the products we see revolve around artificial intelligence, as do the evolution of the market and the most massive investments in the entire sector. Strange but true, two of the most relevant points regarding AI did not come directly from the Catalan Fira but from its former headquarters in Montjuic, where the Talent Arena hosted more than 200 speakers to address the technological challenges of today and tomorrow. Also on stage were Garry Kasparov and Steve Wozniak, popular names and thought-provoking when they give interviews or speeches during conferences. This was also the case regarding AI, a topic that pits one against the other.
‘They are not replacing us, they are improving us!‘ said Kasparov during his speech, revealing his confidence in the development of AI. After asking the more than 2,000 spectators present if anyone thought that AI was a threat to humanity, the chess champion explained, looking at the raised hands: ‘I’m here to calm things down because we’re talking about a tool that can help us, as long as we’re cautious’.
MWC 2025
Looking back at the highest point in his career, namely the game he lost against Deep Blue, the supercomputer created by IBM, Kasparov said that that was a turning point for the spread of computer science and inspired a wide range of technological projects, which have now led to AI. ‘Balance is the key because we can do many more things by saving time, as data will help us use our human creativity’. With this in mind, Kasparov spoke of augmented intelligence because “just as glasses improve our sight, AI increases our abilities, it doesn’t replace them”.
Not being afraid of machines hides perhaps the most important point of the reasoning, which is also the boundary between what differentiates good technology from bad technology. ‘Machines are not responsible for human behaviour but, in the hands of bad people, they can be negative. And yet, it is not the fault of technology but of humans.
Rules first, then AI
‘I trust intelligence, but not artificial‘. Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple with Steve Jobs, has a different view of technology. Having travelled the world for years sharing his thoughts, in Barcelona, Woz spoke out strongly against big tech companies, which have too much power and, therefore, too much influence on political decisions all over the world. ‘Technology must remain a tool at the service of society, not a means of influencing it. Instead, the big tech companies are huge, it’s as if they own our lives’. The warning is clear, as are the recipients, because according to Wozniak, “success in the technological field is not enough to think of dictating the politics of a country”.
For the former Apple father, the danger is innovation without regulation, especially when it comes to AI. ‘It is a powerful tool but it must be understood and controlled. To better understand and guide what we use, we need to know if the information comes from technology, how the AI was trained and what sources it used’. Being able to monitor in order to improve is one of Wozniak’s mottos, according to which not only in AI ‘should we focus on open-source code, which allows us to analyse the technology created and go back to perfect it’.
Underlying this concept is the most important assumption: technology must be and remain a tool at the service of society, not a means to influence it. Because in the end, only one thing counts: what do we want to achieve by using technology? This choice brings benefits, limits, balance and dangers. In short, it always depends on us and us alone.
