Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Cellular Networks: A Critical Path to Beyond-5G and 6G

Mobile network operators (MNOs) are in the process of overlaying their conventional macro cellular networks with shorter range cells such as outdoor pico cells. The resultant increase in network complexity creates substantial overhead in terms of operating expenses, time, and labor for their planning and management. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers the potential for MNOs to operate their networks in a more organic and cost-efficient manner. We argue that deploying AI in fifth generation (5G) and beyond will require surmounting significant technical barriers in terms of robustness, performance, and complexity. We outline future research directions, identify top five challenges, and present a possible roadmap to realize the vision of AI-enabled cellular networks for Beyond- 5G and sixth generation (6G) networks.

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a transformational effect in every industry and will likely be the foundation of a fourth industrial revolution. Indeed, we are in the middle of the perfect storm propelling AI from advancements in hardware, storage, and software. In areas such as computer vision, gaming, and natural language processing, AI has already made significant advancements, and their presence is ubiquitous. In contrast, the application of AI within the cellular domain, while promising, is still in its nascent stages. Below, we outline key motivations for employing AI-enabled cellular networks.