Common standards form the bridge to an intelligent world

(Dec. 2024) Next-generation technologies such as AI and the Internet of Things are moving us ever closer to a more intelligent world.

But the world is a big place. Conflicting technology standards could keep different kinds of tech from talking to each other.

This is a problem Seizo Onoe spends a lot of time thinking about. He’s Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau at the ITU, the International Telecommunication Union.

Take artificial intelligence, for example.

“AI is becoming fundamental to our complex networks,” he tells Huawei Editor-in-Chief Gavin Allen in an interview with Transform Talks. “Already we have many standards for artificial intelligence, about 100. This potentially limits interoperability.”

Network orchestration, multi-media coding, and optimizing network energy consumption – these are among the challenges that make implementing the emerging technologies such a big job. 

“Standardization becomes truly valuable only when it is widely adopted in the world, including in developing countries,” Onoe said. Fortunately, the ITU has many programs aimed at bridging the standardization gap around the world.