Wednesday 10 June, 2026
Executive Summary
The digital economy has become a primary engine of global economic growth, driven by the rapid evolution of mobile communication technologies and the accelerating advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As 5G reaches global scale, 5G-Advanced moves towards commercialization and 6G research advances steadily, mobile networks continue to expand the limits of connectivity, efficiency, and coverage. At the same time, AI is extending from the cloud to devices and the network edge, with Large Language Models (LLMs), multimodal intelligence, and AI agents reshaping how intelligence is created and consumed. The deep convergence of these two forces is giving rise to a new era – the Mobile AI era.
In the Mobile AI era, the ubiquitous connectivity of mobile communication networks becomes the essential foundation for the widespread adoption and democratization of AI. Built on this pervasive connectivity, AI is expanding beyond specialized domains to become universally accessible. At the same time, deep integration with AI is reshaping the core architecture of those networks. Together, these forces make the convergence of mobile communication and AI an inevitable direction for technological evolution and industrial transformation. As a result, Mobile AI has emerged as a transformative paradigm and a critical driver of global digital and intelligent development.
Mobile AI is founded on the principle of bidirectional empowerment between networks and AI, underpinned by the core values of Responsible AI and Security & Trustworthiness. By integrating the ubiquitous connectivity, low latency, and high reliability of mobile communication networks (5G/5G-A/6G) with AI’s strengths in perception, decision-making, and learning, Mobile AI establishes a collaborative device-edge-network-cloud architecture. This forms an intelligent service system that offers broad coverage, real-time responsiveness, and precise adaptation, with the overarching goal of delivering AI that is ubiquitous, trustworthy, and easy-to-use.
The essence of Mobile AI is captured in its “Three-Layer, Four-Dimension” architecture. Vertically, the foundation Layer, the Carrier Layer, and the Application Layer form an end-to-end pathway from infrastructure to scenario-specific value creation. Horizontally, four key functional dimensions AI for Network, Network for AI, Mobile AI Agents/Terminals, and Mobile AI Applicationswork together to drive continuous evolution across the entire ecosystem. These layers and dimensions interact dynamically, enabling full-chain integration from technology to application and accelerating the intelligent transformation of industries.
Drawing on a global industry perspective, this white paper systematically outlines the value, definition, architecture, implementation pathways, and key challenges of Mobile AI. It provides strategic recommendations and calls for collaborative actions across the value chain to promote global ooperation, standard alignment, and ecosystem growth. Looking ahead, as 5G-A becomes widespread and 6G advances toward commercialization, Mobile AI will evolve from converged application to native symbiosis. This shift will unlock sustained innovation momentum, empower industries at scale, and serve as a cornerstone for the high-quality development of the global digital economy.
