通信人工智能的下一个十年

移动通信技术走过了37年的发展历程,人工智能技术也已走过了64年的发展历程。从早期的各自独立演进,到5G与人工智能开始深度融合发展,“5G与人工智能”已被业界视为一组最新的通用目的技术组合,对垂直行业的发展起到提振生产力与赋能的作用。首先介绍了早期移动通信和人工智能各自的发展路线,并重点回顾了人工智能与通信技术在3G到5G阶段开始融合发展。针对通信人工智能,详细阐述了当前人工智能技术在移动通信生态系统中各领域的发展情况,包括通信网络基础设施、网络管理与运营、电信业务管理、跨领域融合智能化、垂直行业与专网等,并总结了通信国际标准组织对人工智能技术在移动通信系统中的分级定义与演进路线。面向下一个十年,展望了通信人工智能未来的发展路线与演进趋势,并结合3GPP与ITU-R的5G/6G时间表,前瞻性探索了基于3GPP和O-RAN路线的网络智能化、基于体验感知与意图的网络管理与运营系统的发展、网络AI信令体系、面向智慧中台演进的电信业务与支撑体系、跨领域融合的智能化体验管理与策略管理、从SLA向ELA的演进以及面向垂直行业的智能专网等。最后建议行业达成共识,在下一个十年中全面加速推进人工智能在通信生态领域的发展。

Next decade of telecommunications artificial intelligence

It has been an exciting journey since the mobile communications and AI were conceived 37 years and 64 years ago.While both fields evolved independently and profoundly changed communications and computing industries,the rapid convergence of 5G and AI is beginning to significantly transform the core communication infrastructure,network management and vertical applications.The individual roadmaps of mobile communications and artificial intelligence in the early stage were firstly outlined,with a concentration to review the era from 3G to 5G when AI and mobile communications started to converge.With regard to telecommunications artificial intelligence,the progress of AI in the ecosystem of mobile communications was further introduced in detail,including network infrastructure,network operation and management,business operation and management,intelligent applications towards BSS&OSS convergence,verticals and private networks etc.Then the classifications of AI in telecom ecosystems were summarized along with its evolution paths specified by various international telecommunications standardization bodies.Towards the next decade,the prospective roadmap of telecommunications artificial intelligence was forecasted.In line with 3GPP and ITU-R’s timeline of 5G&6G,the network intelligence following 3GPP and O-RAN routes,experience and intention driven network management and operation,network AI signaling system,intelligent middle-office based BSS,intelligent customer experience management and policy control driven by BSS&OSS convergence,evolution from SLA to ELA,and intelligent private network for verticals were further explored.It concludes that with the vision AI will reshape the future B5G/6G landscape,and we need fully take the unprecedented opportunities.