Twilio Announces MWC Participant Survey, Conversational AI Shifts from Experimentation to Operational Phase
Twilio unveiled results from its MWC 2026 participant survey, showing conversational AI is moving beyond experimentation into operational phases, with 82% of respondents recognizing measurable value like improved ROI. Businesses are increasingly integrating AI into customer engagement strategies, anticipating that nearly 60% will transition over a quarter of customer service processes to autonomous AI agents within 12 months.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 11:07 (35 min after Collected)
Respondents: 82% Recognize Measurable Value, such as Improved ROI and Enhanced Operational Efficiency
London, April 27, 2026 – Twilio, a customer engagement platform that provides real-time, personalized customer experiences, announced the results of a survey conducted at Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC), the world's largest mobile and communications industry exhibition. The survey targeted 985 mobile industry professionals.
The survey revealed that companies are moving beyond the experimental stage of conversational AI adoption and are beginning to generate measurable results, indicating a transformation in the very approach to customer engagement. With 60% of respondents already actively utilizing conversational AI and an additional 24% in the pilot or planning stages of adoption, it demonstrates steady progress in enterprise implementation.
From Adoption to Value Creation
Among active AI users participating in MWC, the effects of conversational AI adoption are even clearer. Six out of ten respondents (60%) reported experiencing transformative improvements in customer communication, while 82% stated they feel concrete value, such as generating measurable ROI, improving operational efficiency, and reducing time. These results indicate that for many companies, the use of conversational AI has moved past initial verification and into a practical, results-oriented implementation phase.
Peter Bell, Vice President of Marketing, EMEA at Twilio, commented:
"At this year's MWC, I clearly felt that the discussion around AI had significantly changed from previous years. The focus has shifted from experimentation to the operational phase, with emphasis on how to operationalize, effectively scale, and integrate daily interactions across various channels within customer engagement strategies. What is now required is a more mature approach. Success lies not just in innovation, but in the ability to deliver seamless, personalized customer experiences that lead to actual business outcomes, all under robust governance."
Increased Trust and Confidence with Adoption
The survey results revealed a strong correlation between adoption and trust. Among respondents already using conversational AI, 93% showed a certain level of trust in their company's governance and data protection frameworks, with 53% stating "very high trust." In contrast, the level of similar trust among companies not yet adopted was significantly lower, at only 28%. While some organizations are still in the early stages of adoption, hesitation appears to stem from practical challenges rather than fundamental concerns. Specifically, concerns about security and privacy (20%), along with technical complexity and access to expertise (17%), and implementation costs (17%) were cited as major barriers. Furthermore, 31% of respondents not currently using conversational AI stated they had "no particular concerns." This suggests that many organizations may require clearer implementation processes and support to move forward with adoption.
Future Outlook: Expanding Role of AI in Customer Experience
The MWC survey showed continued high expectations among respondents for AI-driven customer engagement. Approximately six out of ten respondents (59%) expect at least a quarter of customer service processes to be handled by autonomous AI agents within the next 12 months, indicating anticipated future growth for conversational AI. Moreover, skepticism towards the future of this technology is concentrated mainly among respondents with no actual experience in implementing or utilizing it, suggesting that adoption itself could significantly influence future perceptions.
Survey Methodology
The survey results shared in this media alert are based on a survey of 985 industry professionals from various countries around the world. The survey was conducted at Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC) in Barcelona from March 2 to March 5, 2026.
About Twilio
Twilio serves millions of developers and hundreds of thousands of businesses in over 180 countries worldwide, creating engaging digital experiences for customers. Twilio's Customer Engagement Platform (CEP) is trusted by many leading companies today, providing the foundation for building direct, personalized relationships with customers around the globe. The company supports every stage of the customer journey.
London, April 27, 2026 – Twilio, a customer engagement platform that provides real-time, personalized customer experiences, announced the results of a survey conducted at Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC), the world's largest mobile and communications industry exhibition. The survey targeted 985 mobile industry professionals.
The survey revealed that companies are moving beyond the experimental stage of conversational AI adoption and are beginning to generate measurable results, indicating a transformation in the very approach to customer engagement. With 60% of respondents already actively utilizing conversational AI and an additional 24% in the pilot or planning stages of adoption, it demonstrates steady progress in enterprise implementation.
From Adoption to Value Creation
Among active AI users participating in MWC, the effects of conversational AI adoption are even clearer. Six out of ten respondents (60%) reported experiencing transformative improvements in customer communication, while 82% stated they feel concrete value, such as generating measurable ROI, improving operational efficiency, and reducing time. These results indicate that for many companies, the use of conversational AI has moved past initial verification and into a practical, results-oriented implementation phase.
Peter Bell, Vice President of Marketing, EMEA at Twilio, commented:
"At this year's MWC, I clearly felt that the discussion around AI had significantly changed from previous years. The focus has shifted from experimentation to the operational phase, with emphasis on how to operationalize, effectively scale, and integrate daily interactions across various channels within customer engagement strategies. What is now required is a more mature approach. Success lies not just in innovation, but in the ability to deliver seamless, personalized customer experiences that lead to actual business outcomes, all under robust governance."
Increased Trust and Confidence with Adoption
The survey results revealed a strong correlation between adoption and trust. Among respondents already using conversational AI, 93% showed a certain level of trust in their company's governance and data protection frameworks, with 53% stating "very high trust." In contrast, the level of similar trust among companies not yet adopted was significantly lower, at only 28%. While some organizations are still in the early stages of adoption, hesitation appears to stem from practical challenges rather than fundamental concerns. Specifically, concerns about security and privacy (20%), along with technical complexity and access to expertise (17%), and implementation costs (17%) were cited as major barriers. Furthermore, 31% of respondents not currently using conversational AI stated they had "no particular concerns." This suggests that many organizations may require clearer implementation processes and support to move forward with adoption.
Future Outlook: Expanding Role of AI in Customer Experience
The MWC survey showed continued high expectations among respondents for AI-driven customer engagement. Approximately six out of ten respondents (59%) expect at least a quarter of customer service processes to be handled by autonomous AI agents within the next 12 months, indicating anticipated future growth for conversational AI. Moreover, skepticism towards the future of this technology is concentrated mainly among respondents with no actual experience in implementing or utilizing it, suggesting that adoption itself could significantly influence future perceptions.
Survey Methodology
The survey results shared in this media alert are based on a survey of 985 industry professionals from various countries around the world. The survey was conducted at Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC) in Barcelona from March 2 to March 5, 2026.
About Twilio
Twilio serves millions of developers and hundreds of thousands of businesses in over 180 countries worldwide, creating engaging digital experiences for customers. Twilio's Customer Engagement Platform (CEP) is trusted by many leading companies today, providing the foundation for building direct, personalized relationships with customers around the globe. The company supports every stage of the customer journey.