Interview Dr. Emilio Calvanese Strinati, scientific & innovation director of smart devices, telecommunications and security at CEA-Leti
Pioneering 6G and Architecting Artificial Intelligence
HERMES is crucial for providing the necessary hardware support for AI, optimizing frequency and performance for effective communication. |
Hello Emilio, could you shed some light on your professional and academic journey so far?
Certainly, I’d be happy to. It all started at Motorola Labs in France, where I had my first stint as an intern. I then embarked on my thesis at Telecom Paris, which was a deeply intense and rewarding three-year period. After completing my thesis, I spent a year as a teaching researcher at Telecom Paris. At the end of 2006, I joined CEA LETI, starting as a post-doc, then I became the deputy head of international collaborations and research. I climbed up the ranks to become a research director and, for the past seven years, I've been the scientific director. For the last four years, I have also been in charge of the 6G line, a role that combines scientific research and international project management. Additionally, I am the coordinator of the European projects RISE-6G, 6G-DISAC, and 6G-GOALS, adding an extra dimension to my work on 6G. What advice would you give to integrated circuit designers to improve collaboration between the fields of communications and AI? That's a fascinating question. It would be beneficial to collaborate more closely with them to examine the impact of our developments in generative AI on the design of integrated circuits for communication. Currently, these circuits are designed without specific consideration for the applications they support, creating a gap between the worlds of hardware and application. Together with my colleague, François Rivet, the coordinator of the HERMES project, we aim to merge these worlds to simplify and optimize the design of integrated circuits. Can you explain the importance of the HERMES project for integrating AI into communications? HERMES is crucial for providing the necessary hardware support for AI, optimizing frequency and performance for effective communication. However, beyond the hardware aspect, we need to consider semantics for successful communication between AI agents. Through the 6G-GOALS and 6G-DISAC are exploring the theoretical semantic and goal-oriented communications foundation that will be instrumental to explore how to design circuits that can adapt in complexity according to the requirements of AI, allowing for smoother and more efficient interaction between hardware and AI. |
How do you envision the evolution of AI in the field of communications?
AI has the potential to revolutionize communication by interpreting and correcting errors, which reduces the demands on hardware. Working closely with François Rivet, we seek to make circuits more adaptive, adjusting their precision and complexity based on the AI's correction capabilities. This synergy between AI and hardware is at the heart of our research in RISE-6G, 6G-DISAC, and HERMES. Does the transition to 6G mark a break from 5G? Absolutely, 6G is not just an evolution; it represents a profound transformation in the design of communication networks. It is designed to facilitate exchanges between intelligent agents, a capability that was largely absent from 5G. Moreover, 6G extends the concept of non-terrestrial communications, introducing a new paradigm in how we communicate. Coordinating the RISE-6G, 6G-DISAC, and 6G-GOALS projects is essential for integrating these innovations and defining the future of mobile networks. What impact do your works have on scientific and technological advancements? We aim to minimize the energy footprint of communication while maximizing resource efficiency but also by notably reducing the effective data to be exchanged between AI agents. By integrating semantics and artificial intelligence, our work significantly impacts the performance and efficiency of communication systems, paving the way for sustainable innovations in the field. In conclusion, how do you see the future of communications with the advent of 6G? The future of communications with 6G is promising. It offers the possibility for more intelligent, efficient, and adaptive communications, opening new horizons for interaction between humans, machines, and beyond Earth. Through the coordination of RISE-6G, 6G-DISAC, and 6G-GOALS projects, we are at the forefront of this revolution, tirelessly working to turn our visions into reality. Thank you, Emilio, for this enlightening interview! Thank you. It's an exciting journey, and I am thrilled to contribute to shaping the future of our communications. |
Synergy between AI and hardware is at the heart of our research in Rise-6G, 6G DISAC and HERMES. |