Networks know very well where generative AI is going

Every day we rely on a network: to make phone calls, surf the internet, or send a message on WhatsApp.

But networks aren't just connection tools. They're highways through which the future spreads. Mischa Dohler , vice president of Ericsson , studies not only mobile networks but also the cutting-edge technologies that will exploit them. This is why his predictions sound like a foregone conclusion: "By 2030," he states, "20% of the world's population will be using AI agents capable of interpreting videos and images via wearable devices."

On behalf of Ericsson, Dohler analyzes from Silicon Valley how emerging technologies—from generative AI to extended reality—integrate with 5G and 6G.

Dohler also serves on Ofcom's [the UK's communications regulator] Spectrum Advisory Council and on the technical committee that advises the US FCC on how AI and machine learning can be integrated to more efficiently manage spectrum.

But he wanted to do something else in life, didn't he?

“I dreamed of becoming a classical musician. But I got a degree in telecommunications engineering.”

He's released five albums, though. Do you feel more threatened by AI today as an engineer or as a composer?

"Perhaps musicians are most at risk. AI won't make a new Beyoncé song, but it will do something very similar, and people will love it."

Do you use artificial intelligence?

“I use ChatGpt [by OpenAI, ed.] and Claude [by Anthropic] a lot, and on my commute I chat with Gemini [by Google]. I learn a lot; it feels like I'm traveling with a real person.”

Networks, in part, make this possible. If latency is low, the chatbot's responses seem more human.

“This is where 5G makes the difference, especially in protecting data speeds when you are on the move.”

According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report , generative AI represents only 0.06% of total mobile data traffic. How does this all come about?

"We're mostly consuming video. This is what fuels downlink traffic, that is, the data transmitted from the network to the phone: think of Instagram or TikTok videos. The uplink [the data sent from the device to the network, ed.] on the other hand, is driven primarily by what we actively share, like video calls with family and friends."

What will change in the future?

"The flow of clips produced by generative AI will increase tenfold, so download traffic will grow. And then augmented reality glasses, headsets, and other devices will become widespread, generating outbound traffic."

How strong is the push for wearables?

"Meta has raised its sales projections for Meta Ray-Bans [smart glasses that allow conversations with Meta AI, ed.]. By 2030, we'll be in the uplink era."

Will the networks be ready?

"We're already implementing network slicing technologies, dedicating portions of the network exclusively to upload and download traffic for immersive apps. And we're reducing handover latency [when moving from one cell to another, ed.] to the tens of milliseconds needed to ensure ChatGpt or Gemini works well when we're on the move."

What else do you need?

We need operators to upgrade to 5G Standalone and fully utilize the entire mid-band to ensure maximum capacity and coverage. Regulators must look to the future, to 2030 and beyond. If we continue on the current trajectory, each operator in Europe will need approximately one gigahertz of total spectrum, across the mid- and centimeter-wave bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.

In the past, thanks to 5G, you've performed a long-distance duet with your daughter. What will 6G make possible?

"We could be part of a globally distributed orchestra. All the musicians will receive real-time audio and visual signals. Thanks to radar capabilities, the system will understand the environment and be able to virtually position the other musicians in my room. They will be avatars indistinguishable from real people."

Meta is recruiting Silicon Valley's top AI talent with million-dollar bonuses. What impact is this strategy having?

"It's changing the way wealth is generated. Today, very few people with super-creative minds have an entire army of AI agents at their disposal to realize much of their vision. Overall, we're seeing a wave of layoffs caused by generative AI."

Are you worried?

"Not too much. Soon we'll have a lot of unleashed intellectual power. If it's combined with a hunger to build something new, we'll witness a renaissance. Perhaps it won't start with the usual large companies, but with small startups."