Digital Twins and World Models: Bridging Next-Generation AI, Wireless, and Robotics Systems

#AI #ML #DigitalTwins #WorldModel #6G #AInative #wireless #robotics #cognitive #networks #telecom #communications #futurenetworks #ingr #ingrwebinar2026

Special Presentation by Omar Hashash (Virginia Tech, USA)

Hosted by the Future Networks Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (AI/ML) Working Group

Date/Time: Thursday, 7 May 2026 @ 6 PM Eastern Time (3 PM Pacific Time)

Topic:

Digital Twins and World Models: Bridging Next-Generation AI, Wireless, and Robotics Systems

Abstract:

Wireless systems (e.g., 6G) and artificial intelligence (AI) are evolving towards agentic frameworks that autonomously interact with the physical world. This requires a shift towards AI architectures that support reasoning, planning, and complex inference to deal with the dynamic nature of real-world environments. In this talk, we will explore how the intersection of digital twins (DTs) and world models (WMs) plays a role in enabling these new architectures. With their inherent connection to the physical world, the integration of WMs into next-generation networks provides a unique opportunity to develop advanced levels of wireless intelligence. In particular, WMs offer a structured approach for capturing the intuitive physical laws that underpin our understanding of “how the world works.” This ability is a cornerstone for dealing with the countless unforeseen scenarios that humans encounter in the real world. Here, DTs play a prominent role in mirroring the physical counterparts of autonomous agents (e.g., robots, autonomous vehicles, etc.) into these WMs over the network. Hence, the convergence of DTs and WMs promises to unleash new forms of embodied AI that can advance the performance of both the network and its agents. Nevertheless, to realize this fusion, wireless systems should acquire core abilities such as perception, abstraction, and analogy. To provide these missing cognitive abilities and close the loop, we will present the first cognitive architecture tailored to a wireless network. Ultimately, this cognitive architecture serves as a foundation for transitioning towards next generation AI-native networks in the beyond 6G era. Furthermore, we will elucidate the design of the cognitive modules embedded into this cognitive architecture. Finally, we will conclude with a set of illustrative examples that showcase new experiences emerging at the intersection of DTs, WMs, and wireless networks. 

Speaker:

Omar Hashash (Member, IEEE) received his B.E. in Communications and Electronics Engineering from Beirut Arab University, Lebanon in 2019 and his M.E. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon in 2021. He received his Ph.D. from the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech in 2025. His research interests include artificial intelligence (AI), world models, digital twins, and edge intelligence. His impactful research in these fields has led to releasing the first vision of artificial general intelligence (AGI)-native wireless systems for beyond 6G. He also led the discovery of the first test-time scaling law for physical AI. In spring 2024, he was a visiting researcher with the Sakaguchi Lab at the Institute of Science Tokyo. In summer 2024, Omar held an R&I – R&D internship position in the Wireless Research Department at InterDigital Communications, Inc., USA. He has served as a technical program committee member in multiple flagship IEEE conferences and is a frequent reviewer at several IEEE journals..

Brochure (PDF): Webinar-AIML-2026-05-07-Hashash-DigitalTwinsWorldModel-Brochure.pdf