6G core AI architecture still unsettled as timeline compresses

At RCR's 6G Forum 2026, Keysight's Stephen Douglas and Docomo Euro-Labs' Bahador Bakhshi said 6G will be standalone from day one with a dedicated core. Early demos could come around the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with commercial systems in mid-to-late 2029, but the industry has yet to agree on how AI fits into the architecture.

• 6G will be standalone from day one with its own dedicated core, unlike 5G
• Demos targeted for the 2028 LA Olympics, commercial systems in mid-to-late 2029
• 3GPP is studying 22 solution variants for AI integration in the network
• Two approaches compete: multi-agent overhaul vs. evolutionary 5G upgrade