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Clayton Wagar, leading the AI practice for Nokia’s IP division, framed his presentation as creating a “through line” connecting the history of network operations to its AI-driven future. Recalling his own start managing a 911 data center with manual, CLI-driven processes, he traced the evolution of the industry as operators moved from mastering workflows in their heads to writing them down and eventually using automation. Wagar emphasized that as AI is introduced, it’s crucial to be prescriptive about its use and to understand its two main facets: the “plumbing” aspect of building massive networks to support AI, and the application of AI tools to network operations itself.
To illustrate the challenge of applying AI to mission-critical systems, Wagar told a story about a 1943 discussion at Bell Labs between Claude Shannon and Alan Turing. They faced a choice: build a computer like a human brain (a neural network) or like an adding machine (a deterministic system). They chose the adding machine, not only because the technology for neural networks didn’t exist, but critically because telcos and governments required predictable, deterministic outputs, not a system that might hallucinate. This historical context highlights the primary challenge Nokia addresses today: reducing AI hallucinations to make the technology safe for essential, real-world networks where reliability is paramount.
Wagar then connected this to the modern concept of autonomous networks, such as the levels defined by TM Forum. He proposed that these frameworks were largely developed before modern AI and assumed a deterministic path, whereas AI introduces a new, separate plane of capability. He pointed to Google’s public journey toward autonomous networking, which leverages custom-built AI agents to move beyond simple event-driven workflows to a truly autonomous SRE model. Wagar concluded by positioning Nokia’s strategy as learning from these leaders, blending AI and traditional automation to inform their product development and establish new best practices for the industry.
Personnel: Clayton Wagar
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