MWC 2025: Call for
open collaboration

The need for open collaboration to address the challenges and opportunities brought by AI technology is greater than ever before, Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 heard in Barcelona last week.

Two key discussions – a Connect X Fireside Chat and an AI+ panel discussion – saw the issue raised by James Li, CEO of Honor, along with industry-leaders who shared insights into the “connected intelligent” future.

The common theme, a call for open collaboration, echoed Honor’s new corporate strategy, the Honor Alpha Plan. The aim: to work together with partners to maximise human potential.

“As we move into the physical AI era, we need to open our industry boundaries and co-create a new paradigm for the AI ecosystem,” said Li. “This can be done by opening the industry’s AI capabilities to provide a platform for a wider range of devices, enabling seamless collaboration across different operating systems, and building a value-sharing ecosystem.

“This is why all of us need to work together to maximise human potential to embrace an intelligent world.”

Building intelligent ccosystems beyond connectivity

During the Connect X fireside chat, the central theme of the discussion was the evolution beyond raw connectivity to create intelligent ecosystems that actively address user needs. Honor shared a vision of technology anticipating and simplifying daily tasks, sharing examples like smartphones seamlessly connecting to vehicles and homes, and wearables providing personalised health insights.

Driving innovation through vollaboration 

The fireside chat also highlighted the critical role of industry collaboration in driving innovation and ensuring interoperability. Recognising the need for collaboration in standards setting, says Honor, it has consistently promoted open collaboration with key industry leaders to develop unified AI connectivity standards and solutions. 

As AI technology evolves, ushering in the physical AI era and beyond, a united effort to co-create an open, intelligent ecosystem will become increasingly important as more industry players navigate the complexities of the evolving technological landscape.

On-device technology emphasis

At the AI+ panel discussion, Honor shared insights into the balance between on-device and cloud-based AI, reiterating the importance of clearly distinguishing the roles. As examples, it used the world’s first mobile AI agent based on a graphical user interface, ecosystem exchange technology and AiMAGE – all of which featured at the unveiling of the Honor Alpha Plan. Li said Honor had prioritised user privacy with on-device processes, while smartly leveraging the cloud for its vast computing resources, without compromising on data security.

Honor’s stance on prioritising user privacy was further reinforced with the recently published Privacy Protection White Paper, which was referenced during the panel discussion. The white paper details five principles that the company will adhere to as it protects user data: data minimisation; sensitive data on-device protection; on-device processing first; data desensitisation and encryption before uploading to cloud; and data deletion after use.

Honor also reiterated the importance of opening up borders to the intelligent future, calling on industry partners to unite.