India is on course to lead the global surge in multimodal artificial intelligence adoption, with daily AI use across text, voice, images and video projected to nearly double from 22 per cent today to 43 per cent by 2030, according to a new report by Ericsson ConsumerLab released on Monday, 26 October 2025. That projected growth of 95.45 per cent sharply outpaces the global average forecast of 30 per cent, positioning India as a frontrunner in the next phase of AI-driven consumer behaviour.

Key Findings from the Report

The Ericsson ConsumerLab research signals a decisive shift away from occasional AI interactions toward embedded, cross-device usage across different locations and contexts. As consumers increasingly engage with AI services on the move — sharing images, video clips and voice inputs — network traffic is expected to become more upload-heavy and unevenly distributed across geographies.

The study also highlights the rise of AI super users, who currently represent roughly 10 per cent of all consumers globally. By 2030, that share is projected to climb to 30 per cent, with this cohort expected to generate more than 80 per cent of all AI activity. Notably, for AI super users, response time carries 2.5 times the influence on network satisfaction compared with average users — underscoring the premium these consumers place on speed and reliability.

Agentic AI on the Horizon

Beyond multimodal usage, the report flags the rapid emergence of agentic AI — systems capable of autonomous task execution on behalf of users. Currently, only 4 per cent of smartphone users actively use agentic AI, but 38 per cent expect to do so by 2030. Consumers anticipate these tools will save approximately one hour of screen time each day, pointing to significant productivity expectations from the technology.

What the Industry Said

Nitin Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson India, said AI is already reshaping how consumers search, create and communicate. 'AI is becoming an integral part of how consumers search, create and communicate today. As AI becomes more multimodal and mobile, consumers will expect these experiences to work reliably across devices and wherever they are,' he said.

Bansal added that India's digital infrastructure positions the country well for this transition. 'India's strong digital foundation provides an opportunity to support this next phase of AI adoption. High-performing networks will be important to delivering the responsiveness, capacity and reliability that emerging AI experiences will require,' he noted.

Trust and Security Concerns

Despite the growth outlook, the report raises a cautionary flag on consumer trust. More than half of daily AI users expressed strong concern about the risk of fake or hacked AI assistants — a finding that highlights the urgency of robust authentication and security standards as AI services become more deeply integrated into daily life. This concern is particularly relevant in markets like India, where rapid digital adoption has historically outpaced regulatory safeguards.

What This Means for Mobile Networks

The shift to multimodal and mobile AI is expected to place new pressure on India's telecom infrastructure. The combination of upload-heavy traffic patterns, uneven geographic distribution of AI workloads, and super-user demand for low latency will require network operators to invest in capacity and responsiveness. This comes amid ongoing 5G rollouts by major Indian telecoms, which analysts say will be critical to sustaining the quality of AI-driven experiences at scale.