Top 3 things that happened on AI in the 6G and 5G core at SA2 #177

The verdict

SA2 approved interim conclusions on operator control of AI use (aspect #18.22) as study text for TR 23.801-01, with OAM details left FFS in SA5. (S2-2611398)
An update to solution variant #18.1, a dedicated intent-serving network function, was also approved as study text. This refines the solution description and does not select it over other variants. (S2-2611402)
Competing KI#18 conclusion pCRs on the AI domain, UE intent transport and ML model provisioning were not treated or postponed. Agreements beyond the register outcomes are pending the meeting report. (S2-2610362, S2-2611367)

Who pushed what

Open question	Company	What they push	TDoc
Where should the 6G core handle requests with intent?	China Mobile (with 12 co-submitters)	China Mobile and co-submitters describe one or two ISF instances with two logical roles.	S2-2611402 approved
	Nokia (with 8 co-submitters)	Nokia and eight co-submitters, including InterDigital, propose an optional AI domain separate from the PS domain in a not-treated conclusion pCR.	S2-2610362 not treated
	InterDigital (with Ofinno)	InterDigital and Ofinno's postponed SV#18.2 update lists PCF-embedded AI agent planning as one subvariant.	S2-2611322 postponed
Should UE intent use the control plane or user plane?	Nokia (with 8 co-submitters)	Nokia and eight co-submitters propose UP transport to the AI domain in a not-treated conclusion pCR.	S2-2610362 not treated
Should UE intent use the control plane or user plane?	China Mobile	China Mobile proposes a dedicated or existing NAS message to carry UE intent to a network agent function.	S2-2609683 not treated
How should operators control AI use in the 6G core?	Samsung (with SK Telecom)	Samsung and SK Telecom's approved interim text places operator control in 6G CN enforcement and OAM-based control, with OAM details FFS in SA5.	S2-2611398 approved
	China Mobile	China Mobile proposes an operator control functionality governing AI use under operator requirements.	S2-2610037 not treated
	Ericsson	Ericsson proposes that a request needing AI is processed without it when AI is disabled or constraints are unmet.	S2-2609462 not treated
Should 6G network functions exchange trained ML models?	Ericsson (with AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Deutsche Telekom)	Ericsson, AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Deutsche Telekom propose that the 6G CN not standardize ML model exchange between NFs.	S2-2609425 not treated
	Qualcomm	Qualcomm proposes trained-model provisioning from a dedicated training NF to AI-capable NFs.	S2-2609772 not treated
	China Telecom (with 11 co-submitters)	China Telecom's postponed pCR, co-signed by Ericsson, Qualcomm and nine others, proposes an Editor's Note leaving open how model provisioning and multi-vendor interoperability would be supported.	S2-2611367 postponed

Key outcomes

Operator controllability study text. Interim conclusions on aspect #18.22 controllability were approved into TR 23.801-01 as study text, with OAM details FFS in SA5. (S2-2611398)
Intent architecture solution update. An update to solution variant #18.1, a dedicated intent-serving network function, was approved into TR 23.801-01 as study text. (S2-2611402)
Adjacent, non-AI: area-based UPF event exposure. A Rel-20 CR clarifying UPF event exposure related to an Area of Interest reached working-group agreement, subject to plenary approval. (S2-2610970)
Abnormal traffic analytics. A Rel-20 CR clarifying Abnormal User Plane Traffic Analytics reached working-group agreement, subject to plenary approval. (S2-2610891)

Full brief with every quote, source and caveat: HTML · PDF

Coverage: SA2 #177 (Prague, 2026-10-12 to 2026-10-16), topic agenda items only. Scout read 5 recorded decisions and 117 company positions or passages; the full brief cites 13 TDocs and shows each verbatim quote, matched against the TDoc text. Summaries are Scout's reading. Register status not treated means the meeting recorded no decision on the document, not that it was rejected. Not covered: plenary decisions after the meeting, email discussions.

TDoc links go to the 3GPP file server.

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