Evolving Intelligent Complex Systems via Intellicise Networks: Architecture, Technologies, and Pathways

Ping Zhang, Rui Meng, Xiaodong Xu, Song Gao, Zixuan Huang, Yaheng Wang, Yinqiu Liu, Ruichen Zhang, Yiming Liu, Kaiwen Yu, Yaping Sun, Han Meng, Haonan Tong, Huishi Song, Qianqian Yang, Shuoyao Wang, Lexi Xu, Qinghe Du, Geng Sun, Jiawen Kang, Gang Wu, Yiqing Zhou, Haixia Zhang, Zesong Fei, Aimin Hao, Ming Li

Future engineering infrastructures are evolving into large-scale, open, heterogeneous, and wirelessly interconnected complex systems. These systems present significant challenges in optimizing network resource utilization, managing high-dimensional information spaces, and accommodating diverse business requirements. Intellicise networks, characterized by Intent-driven operation, semantic-native capability, and distributed intelligence, offer a promising paradigm for enabling such intelligent complex systems. We provide a systematic exploration of future intelligent complex systems from the perspective of intellicise networks. Specifically, we propose a cross-domain intelligent communication network architecture based on intellicise networks, grounded in information theory, systems theory, game theory, and cybernetics. The architecture comprises a cross-layer organizational framework, multi-functional planes, and novel information flows. The cross-layer framework defines the vertical evolution from perception and cognition to decision, while the control, user, data, computation, intelligence, and security planes deliver horizontal intellicise capabilities. Moreover, data, knowledge, model, and task flows interconnect the various layers and planes, forming a closed-loop process that derives simplicity from high-level intelligene while concurrently pursuing enhanced. Building on this architecture, we review key enabling technologies, tracing their evolution from semantic extraction to intent understanding, from heterogeneous resource integration to self-configuration and self-optimization, from generative artificial intelligence (AI) to agentic AI, and from embodied AI to symbodied AI. Additionally, we present a case study on intellicise networks for embodied agent communications and discuss representative applications and services for intelligent complex systems.