{"ID":2896623,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06911","arxiv_id":"2507.06911","title":"Beyond Connectivity: An Open Architecture for AI-RAN Convergence in 6G","abstract":"Data-intensive Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications at the network edge demand a fundamental shift in Radio Access Network (RAN) design, from merely consuming AI for network optimization, to actively enabling distributed AI workloads. This presents a significant opportunity for network operators to monetize AI while leveraging existing infrastructure. To realize this vision, this article presents a novel converged O-RAN and AI-RAN architecture for unified orchestration and management of telecommunications and AI workloads on shared infrastructure. The proposed architecture extends the Open RAN principles of modularity, disaggregation, and cloud-nativeness to support heterogeneous AI deployments. We introduce two key architectural innovations: (i) the AI-RAN Orchestrator, which extends the O-RAN Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) to enable integrated resource and allocation across RAN and AI workloads; and (ii) AI-RAN sites that provide distributed edge AI platforms with real-time processing capabilities. The proposed architecture enables flexible orchestration, meeting requirements for managing heterogeneous workloads at different time scales while maintaining open, standardized interfaces and multi-vendor interoperability.","short_abstract":"Data-intensive Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications at the network edge demand a fundamental shift in Radio Access Network (RAN) design, from merely consuming AI for network optimization, to actively enabling distributed AI workloads. This presents a significant opportunity for network operators to monetize AI whi...","url_abs":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06911","url_pdf":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2507.06911v2","authors":"[\"Michele Polese\",\"Niloofar Mohamadi\",\"Salvatore D'Oro\",\"Leonardo Bonati\",\"Tommaso Melodia\"]","published":"2025-07-09T14:49:11Z","proceeding":"cs.NI","tasks":"[\"cs.NI\",\"cs.AI\",\"eess.SP\"]","methods":"[]","has_code":false}