It’s a second consecutive sojourn to MWC for Differentiated (this time with Sam joining us, adding fresh eyes to our seasoned perspective). 

Same halls, even bigger scale. If something matters in this industry, it shows up at MWC. But this year, the energy had shifted. The telco, tech and professional services were there, as you might expect. But this time, the robots made their presence known. 

In our pre-MWC blog a few months ago, we said we’d be looking out for a very particular trend this year; whether companies would focus on building belief, or creating a sense of trust instead. What we mean by that is whether they’d show the world what AI can actually do, or just tell us where it might end up at some unspecified point in the future.

So what did we discover? 

AI: Live and in person
MWC 2026 added a new dimension: physical AI. 

And that created a very obvious split; The Global West largely stayed in software, selling agents and orchestration layers. The Global East went hard on hardware, humanoid robots and embodied AI. And largely absent from either conversation: the Global South. In the opening keynote, GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath noted that of roughly 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, mainstream AI models are trained on only a small fraction. MWC did see the launch of the first open Swahili reasoning model, a meaningful step. But one announcement against a week of autonomous everything is a gap worth naming.  

Some of the latter was jaw-dropping, and dancing robots are always going to generate insane crowds. And that matters because while much of it isn’t fully autonomous yet, it signals intent and a direction of travel, testing the boundaries of what AI can be, not just what it can say. 

There were moments where it felt very real. Cambridge Consultants (under Capgemini) showed more developed autonomous use cases. Translation glasses for example, felt practical and immediate.  

But Jon highlighted a key insight from our Art and Science research: video, interactive tools and in-person meetings drive belief. Dancing robots—albeit impressive—can’t build that trust. Spectacle and substance are two different worlds. The real challenge lies in demonstrating how these tools can be integrated into everyday business operations, rather than simply showcasing their capabilities in isolation.

Not-so-secret agents
If physical AI was the spectacle, agentic AI was the substance. 

Twilio, ServiceNow, Calix and many more put agentic up front and centre, positioning entire portfolios around it. This felt like a sign of convergence, as the market begins to work out precisely where value might sit. 

We heard a number of credible voices, Sierra’s Bret Taylor being one of them. Not because he had all the answers, but because he was unusually clear about where we are. Something he said really stuck with us: 

“We are in the first minute of the first quarter of a brand new sport.” 

We’re all getting carried away about the potential of AI, agentic in particular. But he reminded us there’s still space to shape how this plays out—we should be cautious in our expectations, because the landscape is still evolving. 

Singtel provided a refreshing example. Instead of merely automating existing roles, it completely redesigned its organizational structure to align with what agents do best. Singtel’s CEO candidly admitted that it’s too early to show profitability, but his honesty lent credibility to their approach. This kind of transparency builds trust with clients and partners. 

And it reflects what we saw across the show as a whole. AI maturity is still staged. LLMs might be here now, but they’re table stakes. Because agentic systems are emerging and physical AI is developing. 

Jon felt that AI gains in many organizations will eventually be competed away. If everyone utilizes tools like Copilot in meetings, it only levels the playing field rather than provide a competitive edge. The real value lies in applying AI to your own data—this is where the magic happens. Organizations able to leverage their unique datasets will have a significant advantage navigating this new landscape. 

Telcos: the holy trinity
The underlying themes from telcos this year revolved around connectivity, compute, and sensing. Satellites have transitioned from a backup layer to a primary component of mobile networks. Vodafone, Orange, and Starlink demonstrated strong operator buy-in, a meaningful shift as it expands the possibilities for connectivity and opens doors to new applications and services. 

Qualcomm articulated a compelling narrative on how 6G will act as a catalyst for AI. Networks that not only connect devices but also perceive the physical environment is a revolutionary concept. This is a new frontier in telecommunications, one that promises to redefine our understanding of connectivity. 

Huawei reminded attendees that the 5G rollout is still ongoing. Despite the hype surrounding 5G, it’s clear we’re only scratching the surface of its potential. The focus on sensing as a key pillar of 6G was particularly intriguing. It’s not just about faster speeds; it’s about creating networks able to intelligently interact with their surroundings. 

What comes before trust? Belief.
After a week of stands, sessions, coffees and conversations with CTOs, CROs and CMOs, one thing felt clearer than ever. The most effective content at MWC 2026 wasn’t the most polished or the most ambitious. It was the most grounded. Not because the industry lacks vision, but because we’re starting to see a vision with one foot in reality. 

Let’s rewind back to the start of this blog; belief and trust. MWC 2026 proved you can’t build trust purely on grand statements.  

What you can build now is belief. Belief that you understand the world your buyer is operating in. Belief that you’re engaging with the same challenges. 

That’s what Bret Taylor’s line did. That’s what Singtel’s approach did. They didn’t reduce ambition. They made it more credible and put in the real-world. For B2B marketers, that’s the opportunity. Not to scale back the story, but to ground it. To show where you are, what you’re learning, and how it applies. 

As we navigate this evolving landscape, it’s essential to ground our conversations in reality. Clients are looking for partners who can provide insights and solutions that resonate with their current challenges. That’s where we can make a difference. 

In the conversation. In the feeds. In the room. That’s the Differentiated way.