How can artificial intelligence be integrated into 6G?

With the large-scale commercialization of 5G technology, the global tech community has already begun to explore the next generation of mobile communication technology—6G. 6G is not just a simple extension of 5G; it is expected to usher in a new era of information technology, an era of "intelligence for all things and wisdom inherent within." Under this vision, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with 6G is particularly important, as it will provide strong momentum and broad application prospects for the development of 6G.

The Vision of 6G and the Role of AI
The vision of 6G is to achieve a globally unified standard for mobile communication technology. It will provide immersive, deterministic communication experiences and support massive connectivity. 6G will go beyond mobile communication to achieve integrated communication and perception, integrated AI communication, and ubiquitous connectivity across air, space, and the entire domain, allowing people to transcend the human eye's "observation" of the physical world and build digital twins in the virtual world.

In this vision, AI will play a crucial role. The advancement of AI technology has not only driven the digital transformation of various industries but also laid the foundation for the future development of communication technology. Especially in the journey towards 6G, AI plays an essential role. AI will enable 6G networks to natively support a vast array of future AI services and applications, becoming the nervous system connecting future AI intelligence entities and an integral part of AI learning, training, and reasoning.

Key Applications of AI in 6G
Network Intelligence
The 6G network will be a data-driven network that, through the deep integration of AI, big data, and other technologies with the network, will perform better in terms of adaptability, self-awareness, and prediction. AI technology will penetrate from the bottom up into all layers of the 6G communication network, such as AI-based physical channel estimation, AI-based network architecture and decision-making mechanisms, and AI-based terminal devices.

Integrated Communication and Perception
The 6G system is a fusion of communication and perception. Integrated communication and perception bring new opportunities to wireless communication systems—providing wireless perception services while communicating. The native integration of perception and communication allows mobile base stations and terminals to obtain a larger perception range and higher precision without the need for additional spectrum usage and increased equipment costs through collaborative perception.

Popularization of AI-Agents
In the 6G era, the network's enabling objects will not only be AI-Agents but also Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). An AI-Agent is an intelligent entity capable of perception and proactive action, able to set its own action goals based on the environment, with the ability to perceive, learn, and acquire knowledge, and continuously improve its capabilities.

Challenges of AI Technology in 6G
Security and Privacy Issues
With the widespread application of AI, security and privacy issues have become increasingly prominent. In 6G networks, effective security measures are needed to protect user data from misuse while ensuring the stability and reliability of the network.

Security Issues in IoT Networks
The 6G network is expected to connect more devices, including IoT devices. The security issues of these devices need to be fully considered to prevent potential network attacks and data breaches.

Security Issues in Drone Networks
The 6G network may also support drone networks, bringing new security challenges, such as the positioning, identification, and control of drones.

In summary, the vision of 6G is to achieve a more intelligent, efficient, and secure network environment through the deep integration of AI technology. AI will play a key role in the design, operation, and optimization of 6G networks, promoting the development of 6G networks towards higher levels of intelligence. At the same time, 6G networks will also provide strong support for the development of AI, enabling it to better serve human society. However, with the integration of AI technology, new challenges have arisen, such as security and privacy issues, which require the joint efforts of the industry and beyond to address. With continuous technological advancements, we have reason to believe that 6G will bring a better future for human society.