GenAI and its implications for network automation

Network automation has become essential because next-generation networks are becoming increasingly complex. The first wave of network automation started with the use of scripts to perform routine tasks such as network configuration backups and updates. This was followed by the introduction of AI/ML, software-defined networking and orchestration systems to enable more advanced processes such as zero-touch network provisioning, automatic troubleshooting and policy enforcement. In the last year, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has been extensively explored, but the integration of GenAI into operations support systems (OSS) is at an early stage and has yet to be seen in a commercial deployment. This article provides an overview of the implications of GenAI and how it is likely to bring a new level of intelligence, efficiency and reliability to network automation.