Ericsson says Malaysia’s AI use projected to outpace global average - Free Malaysia Today

The research by Ericsson ConsumerLab was based on responses from over 43,000 smartphone users aged 15 to 69 across 27 markets. PETALING JAYA: Daily use of multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) in Malaysia is projected to reach 43% by 2030, exceeding the global forecast of 30%, according to Ericsson ConsumerLab research. Multimodal AI refers to systems that combine text, voice, images and video – technology that is expected to become increasingly integrated into consumers' daily lives. The Ericsson ConsumerLab research was based on responses from over 43,000 smartphone users aged 15 to 69 across 27 markets, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh head David Hagerbro said Malaysians are increasingly using AI in various aspects of their daily lives and expect it to work reliably wherever they are. "Malaysia is well placed to respond to this shift, with a strong foundation already in place with Digital Nasional Bhd's (DNB) 5G network," he said in a statement. Hagerbro said the network, built with Ericsson technology, offers advanced 5G capabilities and AI-based operations that can support the reliable connectivity required by emerging AI applications. "DNB's 5G network enables mobile operators to offer connectivity tailored to different services, with more consistent performance and predictable response times as AI use grows," he said. He said this could create opportunities for Malaysian developers and businesses to develop services that make AI more useful in everyday life and support the country’s digitalisation ambitions. New network demands Globally, daily multimodal AI use is projected to rise from 10% currently to 30% by 2030. The increased use of images, video and voice is expected to generate more upload traffic and short bursts of demand, particularly in urban areas. The research identified a group of AI "super users" who currently account for 35% of AI usage and are expected to account for more than 80% by 2030. Their behaviour suggests that AI interactions will become more frequent and span multiple devices, increasing reliance on mobile connectivity. The report also highlighted the expected growth of "agentic AI", which can perform tasks such as making bookings and managing schedules on behalf of users. Across the markets surveyed, 38% of smartphone users expect to use agentic AI by 2030, up from 4% currently. As these services can operate in the background, the report said they would increase demand for predictable network performance and secure connections. Trust will also be important to adoption, with more than half of daily AI users expressing strong concerns about fake or compromised AI assistants.