Publication of the AI-Native Networks White Paper

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has published the AI-Native Networks White Paper — AI x Communications: Engineering the Future. This white paper presents NICT’s vision for AI-native networks, a next-generation social infrastructure in which artificial intelligence and communications are deeply integrated to engineer the future of network design, operation, and control.

As AI increasingly takes part in real-time decision-making across communication networks, cloud platforms, and data centers, traditional approaches—based on predefined and static control logic—are no longer sufficient. In AI-native networks, decisions may be made and adapted dynamically during operation, raising essential questions about where decisions are made, on what basis, and by whom. This white paper organizes these issues along three key axes—the location, rationale, and agency of decision-making—to provide a shared framework for discussion among engineers, researchers, industry practitioners, and policymakers.

Building on this framework, NICT also introduces the concept of a collaborative verification platform, designed to enable stakeholders from industry, academia, and government to evaluate and compare AI-driven network behaviors under common conditions. Through this approach, the white paper aims to support explainability, verifiability, and accountability in AI-native network engineering, while fostering constructive, cross-sector dialogue on the future of AI-enabled communication infrastructure.

The Japanese edition of the white paper is already available for download. The English edition is currently under preparation and will be made available on the same website as soon as it is ready.

For updates and access to the white paper, please visit:
https://www2.nict.go.jp/aipromo/en/whitepaper/