Future wireless communication networks are expected to fulfill the unprecedented performance requirements to support our highly digitized and globally data-driven society. Various technological challenges must be overcome to achieve our goal. Among many potential technologies, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) and artificial intelligence (AI) have attracted extensive attention, thereby leading to a proliferation of studies for utilizing them in wireless communication systems. The RIS-based wireless communication frameworks and AI-enabled technologies, two of the promising technologies for the sixth-generation networks, interact and promote with each other, striving to collaboratively create a controllable, intelligent, reconfigurable, and programmable wireless propagation environment. This paper explores the road to implementing the combination of RIS and AI; specifically, integrating AI-enabled technologies into RIS-based frameworks for maximizing the practicality of RIS to facilitate the realization of smart radio propagation environments, elaborated from shallow to deep insights. We begin with the basic concept and fundamental characteristics of RIS, followed by the overview of the research status of RIS. Then, we analyze the inevitable trend of RIS to be combined with AI. In particular, we focus on recent research about RIS-based architectures embedded with AI, elucidating from the intelligent structures and systems of metamaterials to the AI-embedded RIS-assisted wireless communication systems. Finally, the challenges and potential of the topic are discussed.
翻译:未来无线通信网络可望满足前所未有的业绩要求,支持我们高度数字化和全球数据驱动的社会。必须克服各种技术挑战,以实现我们的目标。在许多潜在技术中,可重新配置的智能表面(RIS)和人工智能(AI)吸引了广泛的关注,从而导致在无线通信系统中利用这些网络的研究激增。基于RIS的无线通信框架和AI带动的技术是第六代网络的两个有希望的技术,它们彼此互动并相互促进,努力合作创造一个可控制、智能、可重新配置和可编程的无线传播环境。本文探讨了实施RIS和AI相结合的道路;具体地说,将AI型技术纳入基于RIS的框架,以最大限度地提高IRS的实用性,从而便利实现从浅到深的智能无线电传播环境。我们首先从RIS的基本概念和基本特征开始,接着是RIS研究现状的概述。然后,我们分析了RIS不可避免的趋势与AI相结合。特别是,我们侧重于最近关于IRS结构的研究,最终的IMIS结构与IMIS系统的潜在挑战。我们讨论的是,关于IRIS-IMIS-IMF结构的最后专题。