AI and 6G Security: Opportunities and Challenges

TLDR

While 5G is known for cloudification with micro‑service architecture, 6G will rely on intelligent orchestration, making AI central yet potentially a double‑edged sword for security and privacy. The article aims to consolidate and solidify AI’s role in securing 6G networks by outlining how AI can be leveraged, the challenges, and solutions. The authors propose using AI for proactive threat discovery and intelligent mitigation to enable self‑sustaining, end‑to‑end automated 6G networks.

Abstract

While 5G is well-known for network cloudification with micro-service based architecture, the next generation networks or the 6G era is closely coupled with intelligent network orchestration and management. Hence, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is immense in the envisioned 6G paradigm. However, the alliance between 6G and AI may also be a double-edged sword in many cases as AI's applicability for protecting or infringing security and privacy. In particular, the end-to-end automation of future networks demands proactive threats discovery, application of mitigation intelligent techniques and making sure the achievement of self-sustaining networks in 6G. Therefore, to consolidate and solidify the role of AI in securing 6G networks, this article presents how AI can be leveraged in 6G security, possible challenges and solutions.