MWC Las Vegas 2023, in partnership with CTIA, just wrapped up, and of the many great discussions on telecom innovation and policy, quite a few focused on the AI boom and how it will impact the wireless industry. One of four conference themes was the “Age of AI” (along with 5G Acceleration, Digital Everything, and Enterprise Mobility), evidencing that AI is front of mind in the tech and telecom sectors. Speakers from industry, academia, and government discussed the numerous potential telecom use cases for AI, including improved spectrum management and optimized networks, bolstered cybersecurity and fraud detection, and combatting robocalls and texts. Below are some main takeaways from various MWC discussions about AI:

• Views from the White House. During her Everything Policy Program Keynote, Austin Bonner, the Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer for Policy of the White House Office of Science and Technology, discussed the many impacts that AI  will have on various industries, including telecom. She talked about the intersection of wireless and AI, explaining that we can harness AI to better meet the nation’s spectrum needs. Ms. Bonner said that AI issues reach beyond the U.S. and require cohesive international governance, and she noted that Internet for all and connectivity are crucial for enabling everyone to access the benefits of AI. She also mentioned the Biden Administration’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, a white paper intended to support the development of policies and practices that protect civil rights and promote democratic values in the building, deployment, and governance of AI automated systems, and touted that the White House had secured voluntary commitments from several AI companies to promote safety, security, and trust in AI. See a related Hogan Lovells Engage post on those voluntary commitments here. Notably, Ms. Bonner teased a forthcoming Executive Order to help America lead the way in responsible AI innovation, expected this fall.
• Responsible Deployment. Speakers agreed that AI has massive potential to benefit the telecommunications industry (and society at large), but some stressed the importance of thoughtful and safe development and implementation of this technology. Hogan Lovells partner Katy Milner spoke on a panel with a Federal Communications Commission staffer and an academic researcher to discuss the path forward for AI and what, if any, regulations or standards can be used to promote responsible development without stymieing crucial innovation. Ms. Milner touted the immense benefits that AI can offer the telecom industry, such as dynamically managing spectrum use among commercial and federal users and leveraging AI to build more resilient networks in the face of natural disasters. Ms. Milner also pointed to helpful resources such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) AI Risk Management Framework, designed to improve the ability to incorporate trustworthiness into the design, development, use, and evaluation of AI products and services. See a related HL Engage post on that NIST framework here. At the same time, speakers raised concerns about the cybersecurity and spoofing issues that could be posed by AI, as well as the potential harms caused by reliance on inaccurate technology such as when used for facial recognition purposes. 

Next steps

It is clear that the emerging field of AI will continue to be discussed by lawmakers, regulators, and technology companies. This conversation is just beginning, and interested parties should be sure to follow relevant legal and regulatory developments and ensure that their voices are heard.

Our team at Hogan Lovells has the experience and expertise to help companies address these important issues, including grappling with AI governance, analyzing the impacts of proposed AI legislation, and considering how to use AI to streamline and grow their businesses. For more AI-related content and resources, please visit the Hogan Lovells AI Hub.

Authored by Katy J. Milner and Andrew W. McCardle.