This presentation provides an update on the 6G Forum’s activities and summarizes key outcomes from the 3GPP 6G Workshop held in March. It also outlines Korea’s national R&D strategies aligned with the ITU-R 6G framework, with a focus on recent advances in AI-native networking.
AI is evolving from an assistive function to a fully embedded capability across mobile networks, enabling autonomous, closed-loop control in the RAN, core, and management domains. In 3GPP, Release 18 introduces AI/ML features in the physical layer (e.g., CSI estimation, beamforming), while 6G is expected to integrate AI as a fundamental design principle for intent-based and self-optimizing operations.
At the air interface, AI improves CQI estimation and beam tracking under mobility, and supports positioning using signal features—though challenges remain in dynamic or sparse environments. Within the RAN, AI enables energy-efficient gNB activation, load balancing, and mobility prediction, each with trade-offs in latency, coverage, and reliability.
Network analytics functions such as NWDAF and MDAF support real-time, cross-domain insights through standardized interfaces, driving proactive network control. Additionally, AI-agentic architectures, integrating modular agents and centralized analytics, enable context-aware, policy-driven RAN optimization and showcase the potential of AI-native mobile networks.

KYUNGHI CHANG received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in electronics engineering from Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, in 1985 and 1987, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, in 1992. From 1989 to 1990, he was with the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) as a member of the research staff. From 1992 to 2003, he was with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) as a Principal Member of the technical staff & Team Leader. He is currently with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Inha University.
He was a recipient of the Haedong Academic Awards, in 2010, MSIT Minister’s Commendation and KICS Fellow in 2020, and Presidential Commendation, in 2021. He is currently a Chairman of 6G Forum, Executive Committee, and Chairman of Technology Committee for National Integrated Public Network. He has served as a Vice President at the KICS from 2017 till 2023.

Japan is advancing Beyond 5G/6G by positioning communication networks as critical cyber infrastructure that ensures resilient access to AI computing for future society. The XG Mobile Promotion Forum (XGMF) brings together industry, academia, and government, forging global partnerships while driving both “AI for networks” and “networks for AI.” Backed by Japan’s national Beyond 5G/6G strategy, these initiatives emphasize large-scale R&D, open testbeds, and early standardization. In parallel, the University of Tokyo’s NakaoLab is pioneering AI-native mobile infrastructure, with research on cross-layer AI harmonization, RAN–Core convergence, and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Flagship collaborations such as ASPIRE and 6G MIRAI-HARMONY showcase international testbeds and AI-driven architectures. This keynote highlights our leadership in defining resilient and sustainable AI-native next-generation cyber infrastructure, integrating connectivity, computing, and intelligence to support society’s future needs.

Akihiro Nakao received his B.S. (1991) in Physics, M.E. (1994) in Information Engineering from the University of Tokyo. After working at the IBM Austin Research Laboratory in Texas and the IBM Tokyo Research Laboratory, he earned both his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Princeton University. In 2005, he was appointed as Associate Professor, and in February 2014, as Professor in Applied Computer Science, at Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, the University of Tokyo. Since 2020, he has been a special adviser to the President of the University of Tokyo (-present). In April 2021, he has moved to School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo (-present), and since then he has been serving as Director, Collaborative Research Institute for NGCI, (Next-Generation Cyber Infrastructure), the University of Tokyo (-present). In 2024, he was appointed Co-Chair of XGMF (XG Mobile Promotion Forum) (-present). His research interests lie in information science and information and communication.