6G Needs Agents: Toward Agentic AI-Native Networks for Autonomous Intelligence
Department of Computer and Network Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, UAE(计算机与网络工程系,阿联酋大学);Research Institute for Digital Future, Khalifa University, UAE(数字未来研究院,哈利法大学)
Sixth-generation (6G) networks are increasingly envisioned as AI-native infrastructures integrating communication, sensing, and computing into a unified fabric. However, existing approaches remain largely optimization-centric, relying on closed-loop control with limited reasoning capability. In this paper, we argue for a paradigm shift toward Agentic AI-Native 6G, in which Large Language Model (LLM)-based agents operate as bounded, policy-governed reasoning entities within a semantic control plane layered above deterministic 3GPP infrastructure. We propose a four-layer architecture that integrates deterministic network infrastructure, semantic abstraction of intent and context, hierarchical reasoning, and a distributed multi-agent fabric spanning device, edge, and core domains. To assess feasibility, we develop a proof-of-concept agentic reasoning and orchestration framework and conduct an extensive empirical study using a domain-specific 6G benchmark under realistic deployment constraints. Our results reveal a fundamental tradeoff between reasoning capability and system efficiency, showing that no single model simultaneously satisfies latency, throughput, and accuracy requirements. Instead, heterogeneous deployment of LLM agents across the device--edge--core continuum is necessary to balance these constraints. We further demonstrate that quantization introduces non-uniform effects across models, reinforcing the need for system-level optimization rather than model-level compression alone. These findings establish agentic intelligence as a viable architectural direction for 6G and highlight key challenges in achieving scalable, trustworthy, and self-reasoning networks. All experimental results and evaluation scripts are publicly available to support reproducibility.
Beyond Pipelines: A Survey of the Paradigm Shift toward Model-Native Agentic AI
Institute for Clarity in Documentation(清晰文档研究所);Inria Paris-Rocquencourt(巴黎- Rocquencourt 国家信息与自动化所);Rajiv Gandhi University(拉吉夫·甘地大学);Tsinghua University(清华大学);Palmer Research Laboratories(帕勒尔研究实验室);Beijing Jiaotong University(北京交通大学)
Towards 6G Native-AI Edge Networks: A Semantic-Aware and Agentic Intelligence Paradigm
College of Computer Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, U.K.(埃克塞特大学计算机科学学院);Sony China Research Laboratory, Beijing, China(索尼中国研究实验室);School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China(东南大学信息科学与工程学院);Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China(紫金山实验室);Information System Technology and Design Pillar, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore(新加坡科技设计大学信息系统技术与设计支柱)
Paradigms of Intelligence Team, Google(谷歌智能范式团队);University of Chicago(芝加哥大学);Santa Fe Institute(圣菲研究所);Antikythera, Berggruen Institute(安提基特拉与伯格格林研究所);University of California, San Diego(加州大学圣地亚哥分校)
AINTMA: Agentic AI Architecture for Autonomous Test Management with Generative Intelligence, Secure Cloud Communication and Adaptive Quality Analytics
International Business Machines (IBM)(国际商业机器公司(IBM));Global Atlantic Financial(全球大西洋金融公司);Docusign(DocuSign公司);Salesforce Inc(Salesforce公司);The Home Depot(家得宝公司)
Agentic Explainable Artificial Intelligence (Agentic XAI) Approach To Explore Better Explanation: A Case Study in Decision Support for Rice Cultivation in Japan
Agentic AI Ecosystems in Higher Education: A Perspective on AI Agents to Emerging Inclusive, Agentic Multi-Agent AI Framework for Learning, Teaching and Institutional Intelligence
College of Computing and Data Science, Nanyang Technological University, NTU, Singapore(南洋理工大学计算机与数据科学学院);DeepMed Ptd Ltd, India(印度DeepMed公司)
Can Agentic Trading Systems Pay for Their Own Intelligence?
HKUST(GZ)(香港科技大学(广州));Paradoox AI(悖论人工智能公司);E Fund Management Co., Ltd(易方达基金管理有限公司);MBZUAI(Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence(穆罕默德·本·扎耶德人工智能大学));The University of Tokyo(东京大学)
A Dual-Helix Governance Approach Towards Reliable Agentic Artificial Intelligence for WebGIS Development
Geographic Information Systems Center, Florida International University(佛罗里达国际大学地理信息系统中心);Geospatial Analytics, Technology and Open Research Lab, University of Florida(佛罗里达大学地理空间分析、技术与开放研究实验室)
Empathic and agentic artificial intelligence in nursing: perspectives on a human-centered framework for cancer care navigation in the United States
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Nursing(田纳西大学健康科学中心护理学院);University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Center for Biomedical Informatics, Department of Pediatrics(田纳西大学健康科学中心生物医学信息中心,儿科系);University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Radiation Oncology(田纳西大学健康科学中心放射肿瘤学系)
Mind Meets Space: Rethinking Agentic Spatial Intelligence from a Neuroscience-inspired Perspective
School of EEE, Nanyang Technological University(南洋理工大学电子工程系);Department of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University(清华大学土木工程系);Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar(B.R.阿姆贝卡尔国家理工学院,贾兰德赫);KTH Royal Institute of Technology(皇家理工学院);College of AI, Tsinghua University(清华大学人工智能学院);CCDS, Nanyang Technological University(南洋理工大学CCDS)