The University of Tokyo became the first Japanese university to join the AI-RAN Alliance as a founding member on April 20, 2024.
◆AI-RAN Alliance Website: https://ai-ran.org/
The AI-RAN Alliance is committed to leveraging AI to globally enhance the efficiency of mobile networks (RAN: Radio Access Network), reduce network power consumption, and improve existing infrastructure. Its mission is to create new business opportunities for 5G and 6G through industry-academia collaboration driven by AI.
To achieve this, the AI-RAN Alliance has established three working groups (WGs) based on specific objectives. As the representative lab from the University of Tokyo, the Nakao Laboratory actively participates in all WGs, promoting industry-academia collaboration for the integration of RAN and AI.
- WG1 (AI-for-RAN): Enhancing RAN performance using machine learning and AI techniques.
- WG2 (AI-and-RAN): Facilitating the cooperative operation of AI and RAN platforms.
- WG3 (AI-on-RAN): Promoting the development of new applications within RAN.
The AI-RAN Alliance maximizes its impact by fostering collaboration between companies and universities. The alliance places high expectations on academia, making the University of Tokyo’s membership particularly significant.
By joining the AI-RAN Alliance as an academic founding member, we aim to advance research and development of a next-generation cyber infrastructure—an efficient and robust information and communication infrastructure essential for future society—through the fusion of AI and ICT. We also strive to further contribute to the societal implementation of technology and the creation of new value for future society through international industry-academia collaborations promoted by the University of Tokyo.
*UTokyo joins the AI-RAN Alliance as a founding member: https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/focus/en/articles/z1701_00038.html