On June 26, 2024, Mobile World Congress Shanghai (MWC Shanghai) kicked off as scheduled. As a bellwether in the communications industry, MWC Shanghai has attracted many international telecommunications giants, technology enthusiasts and industry professionals. At the conference, industry giants such as Huawei, Honor, and ZTE made heavy remarks on AI and 5G-A technology, indicating that a new "mobile AI era" is opening.
MWC Shanghai was unveiled
MWC Shanghai has always been an important event in the field of global communication technology. This year, AI elements have penetrated into almost every corner of the exhibition, and together with 5G-A technology, it has become the focus of the conference. It is worth noting that on June 18, the first standard version of 5G-A, 3GPP R18, was officially frozen, marking that 2024 will become the first year of commercial use of 5G-A.
Wang Tao, Executive Director of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the ICT Infrastructure Management Board of Huawei, revealed at the conference that more than 60 operators and partners have announced the arrival of the first year of 5G-A commercialization. At the same time, more than 30 mobile phone terminals that fully support 5G-A will also be available. At the conference, ZTE not only showcased the industry's first 5G-A base station and related solutions, but also showcased many 5G-A downstream applications.
Huawei's outlook for 5G-A and AI
On June 25, Huawei and 5G-A operators jointly released the 5G-A Commercial Pilot Plan. Wang Tao said that the deterministic industrial path of 5G-A can protect existing investments and bring new business opportunities. Huawei expects that by 2030, there will be 5 billion AI assistant terminals, and each AI assistant will generate more than 10 times the traffic, supporting 24×7 hours of environment perception, learning and evolution, and intelligent interaction services through device-cloud collaboration.
Wang Tao pointed out that the era of mobile AI will bring about three changes: the transformation of human-computer interaction, the transformation of content production, and the transformation of mobile terminals. The AI assistant will have the ability to learn independently and respond accurately, enabling the improvement of quality and efficiency in all scenarios, such as production, maintenance, quality inspection, and logistics. By 2030, AI robots will enter more than 80% of factories in developed countries to work together with humans.
Honor's end-to-end AI strategy
Zhao Ming, CEO of Honor, pointed out at the conference that the development of device-side AI will have a profound impact on smart devices. The embodiment of AI in terminals can be divided into four levels: device-cloud collaboration, device-side application, refactoring the operating system, and cross-system integration. Through AI technology, Honor has achieved the effect of defocusing lens on the screen and AI face swap detection technology, providing users with a higher level of security.
Zhao Ming emphasized that Honor's strategic focus is to fully introduce AI into its MagicOS and launch the industry's first intent recognition human-computer interaction system. Honor is working hard to promote the development of AI on the device side, and believes that this field will bring unprecedented room for innovation, especially in the fields of batteries, screens, imaging, communications, and audio.
ZTE's AI challenges and responses
Xu Ziyang, Executive Director and President of ZTE, said at the conference that AI development faces four problems: computing power supply bottlenecks, serious scenario errors, insufficient inference due to focused training, and business closed-loop challenges. He put forward the core proposition of advanced computing network, simultaneous training and promotion, and open decoupling. Xu Ziyang believes that breaking through technical bottlenecks and strengthening the collaborative optimization of architecture, algorithms, computing networks, and software and hardware are the keys to improving the efficiency of AI training and inference.
Xu Ziyang emphasized that the simultaneous development of training and promotion is the key to driving the take-off of the real economy. By training creative capabilities, verifying value with inference and application, and building a data flywheel, the dual cycle will further promote the iteration of AI capabilities and business monetization, thereby forging core advantages. In addition, openness and decoupling to accelerate standardization and build a thriving industry and business ecosystem are also important directions for AI development.
Social Environment & Perspectives
Convergence of 5G-A and AI
The convergence of 5G-A and AI technology not only marks the progress of communication technology, but also represents the arrival of a smart life in the future. The commercialization of 5G-A technology provides a strong underlying support for AI applications, enabling AI to better serve all walks of life. From smart homes to smart cities, from smart healthcare to autonomous driving, the combination of 5G-A and AI will comprehensively improve people's quality of life.
The layout of the giants in the industry
Huawei, Honor, and ZTE, as industry giants, have actively deployed 5G-A and AI technologies, demonstrating the innovation capabilities and market foresight of Chinese technology companies. These companies are not only making breakthroughs in technology, but also actively exploring business models, setting a benchmark for the global communications and technology industry.
Challenges posed by technological developments
While 5G-A and AI technologies are promising, technological developments also bring new challenges. Issues such as the supply of computing power, data privacy protection, technology standardization, and business closed-loop still need to be solved. How to balance technological progress with social needs, and how to promote its wide application while ensuring the safety of technology, is a common issue faced by the industry and society.
I believe that the rapid development of 5G-A and AI technology is an inevitable trend of the times and an important driving force for social progress. The combination of communication and AI technology will greatly change people's lifestyles, improve production efficiency, and promote economic development. However, we should also pay attention to the societal impact of technological developments, especially data privacy protection and technical ethics issues. Enterprises and governments should work together to establish sound laws, regulations and industry standards to ensure the safety and fairness of technology applications.
In the future, as technology continues to advance, 5G-A and AI will play a role in more fields. Application scenarios such as smart home, smart city, smart healthcare, and autonomous driving will gradually become popular, bringing more convenience and surprises to people's lives. At the same time, we should remain vigilant, respond to new problems brought about by technological development in a timely manner, and ensure that scientific and technological progress and social development are coordinated with each other.
MWC Shanghai showcased the latest achievements and development trends of 5G-A and AI technologies. The voices of companies such as Huawei, Honor, and ZTE at the conference not only pointed out the direction for the development of the industry, but also provided a platform for global technology enthusiasts and industry professionals to communicate and explore. In the future era of mobile AI, 5G-A and AI technologies will continue to lead the trend of technology and promote social progress. We look forward to the benefits that these technologies can bring to humanity, and we call on all parties to work together to ensure that technological development is aligned with the needs of society to build a better future together.