The rapid convergence of artificial intelligence and communication systems has opened a new frontier in which information is increasingly represented, processed, and transmitted in the form of tokens — the fundamental units of modern large language models (LLMs). Token Communication is an emerging paradigm that treats these discrete semantic units as the core primitive of communication, spanning source coding, channel coding, network protocols, and end-to-end semantic information delivery. As LLMs and multimodal foundation models reshape how machines represent and understand information, they also redefine what communication systems must transport, optimize, and secure.
This special session aims to establish Token Communication as a broad, interdisciplinary research area at the intersection of machine learning, information theory, wireless networking, and signal processing.

人工智能与通信系统的快速融合开辟了一个新前沿：信息越来越多地以词元（Token）的形式被表示、处理和传输，其中，词元是现代大语言模型（LLMs）的基本单元。词元通信（Token Communication）是一个新兴范式，将这些离散的语义单元视为通信的核心“原语”，贯穿信源编码、信道编码、网络协议以及端到端的语义信息传输。随着大语言模型与多模态基础模型重塑机器表示和理解信息的方式，它们也重新定义了通信系统必须传输、优化和保护的内容。
本 Special Session 旨在将词元通信打造为一个宽广的跨学科研究领域，横跨机器学习、信息论、无线网络和信号处理。 

Topics (Including but not limited to) 我们诚邀（但不限于）以下主题的投稿：

• Thoery and frontier research on semantic and token communication for next-generation networks 面向下一代网络的语义通信与词元通信的理论与前沿研究
• LLM-assisted source and channel coding, including token-level compression and error resilience 大语言模型辅助的信源与信道编码，包括词元级压缩与抗差错能力
• Token-oriented network architectures and protocol design for AI-native systems 面向 AI 原生系统的词元导向网络架构与协议设计
• Generative communication, where LLMs reconstruct or infer messages from partial or noisy tokens 生成式通信，即由大语言模型根据部分或含噪词元重建或推断消息
• Multi-agent system with tokenized information exchange 基于词元化信息交换的多智能体系统
• Privacy, security, and trust in token communication 词元通信中的隐私、安全与信任
• Token-efficient inference and communication for large models in resource-constrained environments 资源受限环境下大模型的词元高效推理与通信
• Information-theoretic foundations of tokenized and semantic information 词元化与语义信息的信息论基础
• End-to-end Token-based communication on differentiable channel 可微信道上的端到端词元通信
• Token communication over optical 光信道上的词元通信
• Challenge and application of token communication 词元通信的挑战与应用

Organizer: Dr. Lu Hou, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China

Lu Hou is currently an assistant professor with Intelligent Computing and Communications (IC2) Lab, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT). He received the B.S. degree in communication engineering and the Ph.D. degree in information and communication engineering from BUPT in n 2014 and 2020, respectively. He has served as TPC chair on several tracks of international conferences, including IEEE ICALT 2022/2023 and IEEE WFIoT 2023. His research interests include task-oriented communication, emergent communication and token communication.  

Co-organizer: Dr. Haojun Yan, North China University of Technology, China

Haojun Yang (Member, IEEE) received the B.S. degree in communication engineering and the Ph.D. degree in information and communication engineering from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China, in 2014 and 2020, respectively. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, and Western University, London, ON, from 2021 to 2025. Since 2025, he has been an Assistant Professor with the School of Integrated Circuits, North China University of Technology, Beijing. His research interests include wireless networks for artificial intelligence, ultra-reliable and low-latency communications, radio resource management, vehicular networks, and Internet of Things.  

Co-organizer: Assoc. Prof. Jie Mei, Ningbo University, China

Jie Mei (Member, IEEE) is currently an associate professor with Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. He previously served as a Postdoctoral Associate with Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western University, Canada. He received his B.S. degree from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (NJUPT), China, in 2013, and the Ph.D. degree in Information and Communication Engineering at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) in June 2019. His current research interests include intelligent wireless communications, and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications.  

Co-organizer: Mr. Yunxin Geng, Shanghai Satellite Network Research Institute Company Ltd., China

Yunxin Geng received the M.E. degree from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China, in 2023. He was granted the the Best Paper Award of IEEE ICCC 2021. He has served as workshop co-chair of AICTech 2026 and TPC member on IEEE AIPIP 2026. He is now an engineer with Shanghai Satellite Network Research Institute Co. Ltd.. His research interests include space-ground integrated networks, space-based computing, constellation management and deep learning.  

※ Important Dates | 重要日期 Submission Deadline | 投稿截止日期 January 10th, 2027 | 2027年1月10日 Notification Date | 录用结果通知 February 10th, 2027 | 2027年2月10日 Registration Deadline | 注册截止日 March 1st, 2027 | 2027年3月1日

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