At the Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Elena Fersman, the head of AI research at Ericsson. In our conversation, Elena shared insights into the exciting role of AI research at Ericsson and how they are revolutionizing the telecom industry through innovation and technology.
The Role of AI Research at Ericsson
Elena leads a team of about 100 researchers who are spread across 8 or 9 different research teams globally. Their primary focus is on technology innovation and developing concepts that drive Ericsson’s forward with new inventions, algorithms, patents, and research papers.
Evolution of AI Research at Ericsson
The AI research team at Ericsson has been in place for over 10 years, initially starting with data analytics and gradually transitioning to machine learning and other AI technologies such as genetic algorithms and machine reasoning.
Transforming Telecom Networks
One of the key areas the AI research team is working on is the evolution of 5G systems and the development of new features through machine learning. Additionally, they are heavily involved in network operations, leveraging the vast amount of data generated by telecom and IoT networks to improve efficiency and performance.
Challenges and Solutions
Managing the massive amount of data generated by telecom networks presents significant challenges. However, the team at Ericsson is utilizing federated learning and transfer learning to overcome these challenges while ensuring privacy and intellectual property protection.
The Future of AI in Telecom
Looking ahead, Elena emphasized the need to accelerate research and innovation in the AI space, particularly in areas such as augmented and virtual reality, automation with drones and robotics, and the development of new features for the next generation of 5G systems.
In conclusion, the future looks incredibly bright for AI research at Ericsson, and the work being done by Elena and her team is poised to transform the telecom industry in the coming years.
As we wrap up our conversation, it’s clear that AI and machine learning are not just buzzwords, but essential tools that are driving real innovation and progress in the telecom industry. With the continued efforts of experts like Elena Fersman and her team at Ericsson, the future of telecom is indeed in capable hands.
