How neuromorphic AI will limit power demands in 6G networks

Telcos are preparing for 6G networks by evaluating how neuromorphic AI might limit escalating power demands. Ericsson and Forschungszentrum Jülich signed a Memorandum of Understanding this week to research these advanced computing architectures.

Future network solutions must use as little energy as possible while delivering exceptional intelligence and performance. Hardware approaches that emulate brain functions, known as neuromorphic computing, offer a pathway to process complex telecom tasks and advance next-generation infrastructure.

Overcoming processing bottlenecks at the edge

The partnership combines Ericsson’s telecoms background with Jülich’s high-performance computing expertise. The partners will explore advanced computing, specifically neuromorphic AI, alongside High-Performance Computing (HPC) solutions to underpin the continued evolution of 5G and form the foundation of future 6G networks.

Commercial 6G services are expected around the year 2030. As AI becomes embedded in network management, the joint team will explore AI models and methods to enhance Ericsson’s core network and Radio Access Network (RAN).

The joint team plans to develop and prototype highly efficient computing solutions for AI inference at the radio and edge. Modern mobile networks rely heavily on Massive MIMO, a technology where many devices communicate simultaneously via numerous antennas. By exploring novel system architecture approaches like neuromorphic computing, such as memristors, researchers aim to speed up optimisation and reduce energy use versus classical methods.

Exploring how neuromorphic AI limits power demands in 6G networks

Nicole Dinion, Head of Architecture and Technology for Cloud Software and Services at Ericsson, says: “The future of mobile networks is deeply intertwined with AI and the need for unparalleled energy efficiency.

“Our collaboration with Forschungszentrum Jülich, for years a global leader in supercomputing and applied physics, combines their research and computing power with our expertise in all domains of telecoms technology. We will explore architectures that define the next generation of telecommunication.”

Where security and commercial conditions permit, the teams may use JUPITER, Europe’s most powerful supercomputer by the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), for large-scale model training. This research includes implementing Modular Supercomputing Architecture (MSA) concepts from exascale work at Forschungszentrum Jülich.

Preparing infrastructure for 2030

Beyond individual chip designs, the alliance will study operational strategies like heat recovery to boost energy efficiency in HPC and cloud deployments. The collaboration involves systematic benchmarking of AI methods – including the application of neuromorphic AI – across Ericsson products to assess execution speed, scalability to large datasets, information retention, and storage efficiency.

In addition, the partnership will provide insights into the feasibility of cloud strategies based on concepts from the EuroHPC ecosystem, which is establishing a world-class supercomputing infrastructure.

Professor Laurens Kuipers, a member of the Executive Board of Forschungszentrum Jülich, says: “This collaboration has the potential to make a significant contribution to a more sustainable digital future.

“By combining our excellence in high-performance computing and our research into novel, neuro-inspired computing approaches with Ericsson’s expertise in telecommunications, we aim to develop more energy-efficient network solutions and strengthen a sovereign European digital infrastructure.”

Assessing vendor roadmaps for neuromorphic AI integration will give infrastructure planners an advantage before commercial rollouts of 6G networks begin.

See also: What telecom operators are learning from deploying AI agents at scale

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