As it aims to ramp up momentum since launch earlier this year to advance the adoption and growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in radio access networks, critical for the growth of 5G and 6G infrastructures, the AI-RAN Alliance has appointed former O-RAN Alliance chairman and telecoms industry stalwart Alex Jinsung Choi, principal fellow of SoftBank Corp’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology, as its chair.
The AI-RAN Alliance describes itself as a collaborative consortium focused on enabling the evolution and advancement of AI integration into RAN. It has the mission of promoting innovation, establishing best practices and driving the development of AI technologies that enhance the performance, efficiency and flexibility of RAN systems used in telecommunications. In addition to aiming to optimize RAN asset utilization and unlock new revenue streams, the alliance believes that by pioneering AI-based innovations in RAN, it can profitably propel the telecom industry toward 6G.
Choi boasts over 30 years of experience in the telecoms industry, having served in corporate leadership roles in research and development of various technological domains, such as mobile networks, and AI and machine learning (ML). He has also played a part in industry associations, in particular at the O-RAN Alliancewhere he had an integral role in driving the delivery of Open RAN specifications and driving RAN towards open and intelligent solutions.
Under Choi’s leadership, the AI-RAN Alliance will aim to use its collective expertise to advance research and innovation in three main areas: AI-for-RAN, which focuses on enhancing radio access network capabilities with AI to improve spectral efficiency; AI-and-RAN, which integrates AI with RAN processes to optimize infrastructure use and create new revenue opportunities; and AI-on-RAN, which deploys AI services at the network edge to increase operational efficiency and provide new services to mobile users.
Network operators in the alliance will spearhead the testing and implementation of these technologies, developed through the collaborative efforts of member companies and universities.
“The AI-RAN Alliance is set to transform telecommunications through AI-RAN advancements, increased efficiency and new economic opportunities,” said Choi. “As chair, I’m excited to lead this AI-RAN initiative, working with industry leaders to enhance mobile networks, reduce power consumption and modernize infrastructure with 5G and 6G with AI/ML. Our goal is to drive societal progress through AI-RAN, transitioning from traditional to next-generation communications infrastructure.”
Satadal Bhattacharjee, senior director of marketing and infrastructure at alliance member ARM, said: “We’re excited to collaborate with Choi, the chair of the AI-RAN Alliance. Like Choi, we believe that AI will fundamentally change the way wireless services are deployed, fostering broad innovation and enhancing operational efficiency. We look forward to working with key industry leaders from silicon to software to fulfill the promise of ubiquitous AI and 6G.”
Mathias Riback, vice-president and head of advanced technology for the US at Ericsson, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Dr Choi as chair of the AI-RAN Alliance. As a non-standardisation organisation, the Alliance can uniquely complement the work of existing SDOs by focusing on shaping innovative use cases that integrate AI with RAN.
“In addition to realizing benefits from AI in RAN implementations, it will be important to advance ‘AI on RAN’ use cases, where mobile networks play a critical role in enabling AI applications.”
