Every Day Exclusive Interview with Qualcomm Global Senior Vice President Qian Kun: Four Challenges to Commercialize 6G and Its Impact on Reshaping AI Development

Every reporter｜Zhang Huaishui Every editor｜Bi Luming

Boao Forum for Asia’s 2026 Annual Conference will be held in Boao, Hainan from March 24 to 27. Guests from various countries will discuss development and reach a consensus around the theme “Shaping a Shared Future: New Situations, New Opportunities, New Cooperation.”

A reporter from the “Everyday Economic News” (hereinafter referred to as “Everyday Reporter”) noticed on-site that “Artificial Intelligence+” and “Digital Intelligence Empowerment” have become hot topics of discussion among both domestic and foreign guests. The rapid development of AI has also raised higher requirements for communication networks and chip computing power.

How far is China from the commercial application of 6G? If human society transitions to the 6G era, what new impacts will it have on AI development and daily life? China is one of the most active regions in the development of the intelligent economy. Against this backdrop, what is Qualcomm’s next core strategy in the Chinese market?

Focusing on this series of questions, the Everyday Reporter conducted an exclusive interview with Qian Kun, Global Senior Vice President of Qualcomm, during the Boao Forum for Asia’s 2026 Annual Conference.

Image source: Provided by the interviewee

Qualcomm (hereinafter referred to as “Qualcomm”) was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in San Diego, California, USA. It is recognized as the world’s largest mobile chip and technology manufacturer, with cumulative research and development investment exceeding $100 billion. Qualcomm has been operating in China for over 30 years, and its collaboration with Chinese ecosystem partners has expanded into numerous fields, including smartphones, software, automotive, and the Internet of Things.

The development path of the intelligent economy encompasses personal AI, physical AI, and industrial AI

NBD: The “14th Five-Year Plan” clearly states the comprehensive implementation of the “Artificial Intelligence+” initiative, empowering various industries in all aspects. What specific market changes do you think this will bring to the global chip industry? How will it impact Qualcomm’s business layout?

Qian Kun: From Qualcomm’s long-term experience in participating in global industrial development, truly unleashing the potential of “Artificial Intelligence+” hinges on constructing an efficient collaborative computing architecture among the edge, cloud, and terminal. As “Artificial Intelligence+” accelerates its empowerment across manufacturing, transportation, energy, healthcare, and consumer electronics, an increasing number of applications require real-time perception, reasoning, and decision-making to be achieved locally, which imposes higher demands on chips in terms of low power consumption, high energy efficiency, and heterogeneous computing capabilities.

In response to this demand, we are developing a new processor. Based on nearly 20 years of continuous investment in AI technology, Qualcomm focuses on heterogeneous computing, achieving high-performance and low-power operation of AI workloads at the terminal and edge through the collaborative optimization of CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and NPU (Neural Processing Unit). We are expanding our business from smartphones to personal AI and smart wearable devices, PCs, automotive, edge networks, and industrial IoT, and accelerating our extension into new fields such as advanced robotics and data centers.

NBD: We have noted that “intelligent economy” has been included in this year’s government work report for the first time. As a leading global chip company, how do you think we should seize the opportunity of the intelligent economy? From the previous AI+, to now proposing “intelligent economy,” what signal do you think this releases?

Qian Kun: “Artificial Intelligence+” has been included in the government work report for three consecutive years, while “intelligent economy” is mentioned for the first time. This change in wording reflects that AI is no longer just a breakthrough in single-point technology but is a key force driving various industries toward large-scale applications. From “intelligent industrialization” to “industrial intelligence,” AI is accelerating the application of a new generation of intelligent terminals and agents, achieving commercialization and large-scale expansion in key industries.

From Qualcomm’s perspective, “intelligent economy” can be understood from three levels: personal AI, physical AI, and industrial AI. Personal AI centers on terminals, promoting AI experiences from “application-driven” to “agent-driven,” bringing new opportunities for industrial development.

Physical AI brings intelligence into the real world, enabling perception, decision-making, and action in scenarios such as automotive and robotics, driving new industrial forms and efficiency improvements. Industrial AI systematically enhances operational efficiency and resilience in manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure through edge intelligence and platform capabilities, accelerating the integration of digital technology with the real economy.

These three elements together constitute the development path of “intelligent economy” from “intelligent industrialization” to “industrial intelligence.” Qualcomm will continue to work hand in hand with industry partners to truly integrate intelligent technology into economic operations and industrial systems, contributing to the development of the “intelligent economy.”

6G will help build intelligent networks with perception capabilities

NBD: Recently, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon elaborated on the 6G vision. How far are we from the commercial application of 6G? What obstacles need to be overcome? What new changes will the popularization of 6G bring to residents’ lives?

Qian Kun: From the perspective of global industrial processes, 2026 is a key year for 6G standardization. Currently, the industry is advancing 6G technology research and validation according to the established roadmap. During the 2026 World Mobile Communications Conference, Qualcomm announced that it has reached a consensus on 6G development with nearly 60 leading global partners (including about 20 Chinese companies) and specified a roadmap for gradually delivering 6G commercial systems starting in 2029.

From our perspective, achieving true commercial application of 6G requires overcoming four key challenges. First is the collaboration of standards and ecosystems; a unified global standard helps reduce cost pressure from industrial fragmentation and maintain economies of scale. Second, spectrum resources and technology adaptation; 6G will introduce higher frequency bands, which impose higher requirements for coverage, power consumption, and terminal design, necessitating advancements in GigaMIMO, advanced antenna design, and the collaborative optimization of RF and baseband to achieve reliable coverage under cost constraints.

Third, breakthroughs in uplink capacity and physical limits; with the growth of AI on the terminal side, intelligent agents, and perception applications, uplink loads are continuously increasing, necessitating ongoing technological evolution in waveform design, full-duplex communication, transmission mechanisms, and antenna arrays. Lastly, the transformation of operations and business models; 6G will promote further integration of connectivity, perception, and computing, posing new requirements for operators’ network operations.

From the consumer’s perspective, the changes brought by 6G will be systemic, not just reflected in increased speeds. Stronger uplink capabilities and lower system costs will drive AI inference from the cloud to the terminal and edge, making intelligent services truly available anytime and anywhere.

Moreover, 6G will accelerate the diversification of terminal forms; smart glasses, wearable devices, etc., will evolve into personal AI terminals with autonomous perception, understanding, and decision-making capabilities. Additionally, RF-based perception capabilities will integrate into daily life without relying on cameras, balancing all-weather capabilities with privacy protection in scenarios such as security, home care, and public safety.

I want to emphasize that for users, 6G will not bring more complex operations, but rather more natural interactions, more stable experiences, and more intelligent services.

NBD: You previously mentioned that “5G+AI” will become a key technological trend. What is the logic behind this? As human society transitions to the 6G era, what new impacts will it have on AI development?

Qian Kun: Since 2021, Qualcomm has continuously emphasized and promoted the development direction of “5G+AI empowering various industries.” This stems from the convergence of key technological trends. 5G is evolving from a communication technology to a general connectivity and computing platform, while the development of artificial intelligence, particularly edge AI, allows computing power and intelligent capabilities to get closer to application scenarios. The deep integration of the two is accelerating the digital and intelligent transformation of industries.

Around this direction, we have consistently pushed for the technology’s implementation through collaboration with Chinese industry partners. The terminals and industry solutions developed by our partners cover intelligent manufacturing, smart healthcare, smart transportation, intelligent connected vehicles, and the Internet of Things, becoming important engines for driving industrial innovation and high-quality development.

If 5G has promoted the widespread application of AI, then 6G will fundamentally reshape the way AI develops. Connectivity, perception, and computing are the three foundational pillars that together construct the AI-native platform of 6G, enabling the network itself to have perception, understanding, and decision-making capabilities. At the same time, 6G will promote efficient collaboration of AI between edge, cloud, and terminal, helping to build intelligent networks with perception capabilities that will not only integrate the physical and digital worlds but also create unprecedented experiences.

Accelerating AI’s large-scale application in key areas with Chinese partners

NBD: China is one of the world’s largest chip consumer markets and the most active region in the development of the “intelligent economy.” What is Qualcomm’s core strategy in the Chinese market going forward? In which areas will you increase investment?

Qian Kun: Currently, China is not only the world’s largest smart device market but also a key platform for rapid innovation and iteration of cutting-edge technologies, with diverse scene implementations. Chinese enterprises in smartphones, smart vehicles, the Internet of Things, etc., are becoming pioneering forces driving global edge AI development. Qualcomm deepens cooperation and collaborative innovation with Chinese partners through the “AI Acceleration Program,” accelerating the large-scale application of AI in key areas.

As smart glasses, smartwatches, smart headphones, etc., gradually evolve into personal AI terminals and become the most natural and intimate smart entry point for users, Qualcomm is focused on building a “user-centered ecosystem,” continuously deepening partnerships with Chinese terminal manufacturers and developers to accelerate the transformation of AI capabilities into user-perceptible and sustainable products and services.

Additionally, we believe that the automotive sector is not only a key carrier for physical AI but also an important scene for the large-scale application of “Artificial Intelligence+.” Qualcomm has established close cooperation with several Chinese automotive manufacturers and industry partners, continuously supporting the automotive industry in accelerating its transition to a “software and intelligence-defined” phase centered on software and AI.

Lastly, in the field of embodied intelligence, Qualcomm has recently launched a complete robotics technology suite and released the Qualcomm Robotics RB5 platform dedicated processor, working with Chinese ecosystem partners to actively explore the large-scale application of robotics in diverse scenarios such as home, education, and industry.

Cover image source: Provided by the interviewee