The rise of Personal AI in wearables: What 12,000 consumers told us

What you should know:

• Qualcomm surveyed 12,000 current and potential wearable owners across six global markets and found consumers are already using AI regularly, signaling that Personal AI has moved from concept to everyday reality.
• Consumers are shifting from thinking about individual devices to wanting an ‘Ecosystem of You,’ where Personal AI — the intelligence layer across devices — powers a personalized, agentic experience spanning an ecosystem of intelligent wearables, hearables and nearables that work together. 
• Trust, privacy and security remain critical for adoption and long-term success in the Personal AI and wearables market, and on-device intelligence is key to delivering it.

Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase. For the past few years, much of the conversation around AI has focused on models, assistants and applications. But what we're seeing now is something much bigger: the emergence of Personal AI. AI that doesn't just answer questions, but also understands context, learns preferences, anticipates needs and becomes a natural part of everyday life.

To better understand how consumers view this transition, Qualcomm recently surveyed 12,000 wearable owners and purchase intenders across six global markets. The findings reveal a clear message: consumers are ready for a more personal, proactive and intelligent relationship with technology. More importantly, they're looking to intelligent wearables to make that vision a reality.

Personal AI Is already here and adoption is accelerating

One of the most interesting findings from our research is that consumers are already using AI regularly:

• Nearly 60% of wearable owners use AI every week, and adoption is even higher among emerging wearable categories.
• More than 70% of smart glasses owners report using AI regularly, signaling that AI-native experiences are already becoming the norm among tech-forward consumers.

The challenge now isn't convincing consumers that AI matters. It's delivering AI experiences that feel more seamless, useful and personal across devices and throughout the day. As AI becomes part of everyday life, consumer expectations are evolving. The opportunity is no longer just delivering intelligence, but delivering assistance through experiences that save time, reduce friction and feel naturally integrated into daily life. This is the shift from smartphone-centric to agent-centric computing, where your AI agents work on your behalf across every device that moves with you.

Why wearables are the natural home for Personal AI

Today, most AI experiences still revolve around the smartphone. In fact, our research showed that 90% of consumers access AI on their mobile device at least weekly. But smartphones only see a fraction of our day and often lack the real-world context needed to make AI truly personal.

Wearables change that:

• Whether it's a smartwatch, earbuds, smart glasses, a ring or an emerging form factor, wearables remain continuously present throughout the day.
• They capture signals such as voice, movement, biometrics, activity patterns and environmental context.
• Combined with on-device AI, that continuous awareness creates the foundation for experiences that can adapt in real time to the individual and deliver truly personalized experiences, privately and securely.

Our research found consumers wear smartwatches for an average of nine hours per day, while rings, pendants and necklaces remain on users for nearly eight hours at a time. Few consumer devices have this kind of continuous presence.

What excites me most is that consumers are beginning to recognize this potential. They're increasingly viewing wearables not simply as accessories, but as intelligent companions that can help them communicate, stay healthy, navigate the world around them and access information more naturally.

From devices to ecosystems: how consumer expectations are changing

Another key takeaway from the research is that consumers are no longer thinking about technology one device at a time.

When presented with the concept of an ecosystem of intelligent wearables powered by a personalized AI agent, roughly 65% to 70% of consumers expressed strong interest. Interest is even higher among consumers considering emerging categories such as smart glasses and smart rings.

Consumers aren't looking for another smartwatch, another pair of earbuds or another connected device. They're increasingly drawn to multiple devices working together through a shared intelligence layer. It’s not about apps performing tasks. Rather, it’s about AI agents delivering outcomes. This shift also suggests the next phase of growth will come less from first-time buyers and more from existing users expanding into new wearable categories that add intelligence, context and new experiences to their lives.

At Qualcomm, we often describe this vision as the "Ecosystem of You" because the experience becomes centered on the individual, not the device. Technology moves with you, learns from you, understands your preferences and quietly works in the background to make everyday life easier, blending the digital and physical worlds seamlessly.

Consumers want AI that understands and acts

The next evolution of AI won't be defined by better answers. It will be defined by better actions. The research shows consumers are increasingly looking for AI that understands context, anticipates needs and works proactively on their behalf, moving technology from something we use to something that genuinely assists us throughout the day.

• Around 70% expressed interest in a personalized AI agent that can interact naturally through voice and manage devices, apps and everyday tasks.
• Nearly 70% already use voice commands regularly, making conversation the most natural interface for Personal AI.

Consumers consistently ranked agentic experiences among the most compelling future capabilities, with nearly half expressing interest in AI-powered real-time translation and AI that can understand their schedule, routines and preferences to take action automatically.

We're also seeing growing demand for direct-to-cloud experiences, signaling a future where intelligent wearables can access AI services and information without solely relying on a smartphone, while remaining seamlessly connected to a broader ecosystem of devices.

Trust and privacy will define the winners in Personal AI

While enthusiasm for Personal AI is high, consumers have also made something very clear: trust is non-negotiable.

Trust isn't simply a future consideration. Nearly 60% of consumers say they either want their wearable data to remain private or require approval before it is shared. As wearables gain access to increasingly personal information, transparency, security and user control become essential requirements for adoption. On-device intelligence is central to this — processing sensitive data where you are, so your personal information stays private and secure.

That's an important reminder for our industry. Innovation alone isn't enough. The companies that succeed will be the ones that combine intelligence with transparency, security and user control.

Snapdragon: the platform powering the Ecosystem of You

Personal AI won't live on a single device. It will be powered by an ecosystem of intelligent wearables that work together to provide continuous context, natural interaction and proactive assistance throughout the day.

That vision requires more than great devices. It requires a powerful technology foundation.

It requires leading on-device AI, seamless connectivity, exceptional efficiency, trusted security and the ability to deliver consistent experiences across a growing ecosystem of products and form factors.

That's where Snapdragon plays a unique role. When consumers were introduced to Snapdragon as the platform enabling an ecosystem of intelligent wearables:

• 77% reported increased interest in adoption.
• Nearly 30% said Snapdragon would increase their willingness to pay.
• Consumers associated Snapdragon with powerful performance, intelligent AI, seamless connectivity, efficiency and premium user experiences.

For decades, Snapdragon has powered some of the world's most innovative connected experiences. Today, we're bringing that same leadership to the era of Personal AI, helping enable the devices, AI capabilities and ecosystem experiences that will define the next generation of computing. Through our Snapdragon Sound, Snapdragon Wear and Snapdragon Reality platforms, we offer the widest portfolio of products and technologies to power Personal AI across hearables, smartwatches, smart glasses and emerging wearable form factors. 

The opportunity ahead is enormous, and we're excited to help shape a future where intelligent wearables work together to create the true Ecosystem of You.

These findings only scratch the surface of what consumers are telling us about the future of Personal AI, intelligent wearables, voice interfaces, agentic experiences, trust and ecosystem adoption.

To explore the complete research, download The Rise of Personal AI in Intelligent Wearables Report and discover what consumers really want from this emerging category.