AI-Enabled Routing in Next-Gen Networks: A Brief Overview

The ever-increasing adoption of intelligent devices and diverse network technologies has led to a tremendous surge in data traffic, necessitating enhanced network performance in terms of coverage, capacity, latency, and reliability for large-scale applications. However, traditional routing protocols struggle to cope with the complexities of next-gen networks like 6G and satellite networks. To address these challenges, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) techniques have emerged as promising solutions. This paper focuses exclusively on AI techniques applied to routing in next-gen networks, exploring the reasons behind AI's significance in network optimization. The study delves into cognitive intelligence, knowledge planes, and the role of Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Challenges and potential solutions are discussed, highlighting the use of AI to optimize network performance and adaptability. The paper also presents an overview of AI methods and studies on AI-based routing solutions. Future research directions are suggested to pave the way for more efficient and reliable network infrastructures.