Catalyst spotlight: Beyond automation: When networks think, heal, and create value

​​​​​Autonomous networks are evolving from systems that simply automate predefined tasks into intelligent environments capable of interpreting intent, resolving conflicts, predicting failures and making decisions based on business impact. But how close are we to networks that can operate safely across multiple AI agents, dynamically configure services and generate new commercial opportunities? 

Drawing on five award-winning and finalist Catalyst projects, this panel will explore the practical breakthroughs making agentic, business-aware autonomy possible, from the AI-native NOC and conflict management to GNN-powered healing, hyper-personalization and autonomous service marketplaces.

• From automated to agentic operations: How AI-native NOCs are changing the way networks are monitored, managed and optimized.
• Can autonomous agents be trusted? Managing conflicting intents, authorization and accountability when multiple agents act across the network.
• Healing according to business impact: Using predictive resilience, graph neural networks and digital twins to decide not only what to fix, but what matters most.
• From network intent to business intent: Connecting autonomous network decisions with customer experience, commercial priorities and enterprise outcomes.
• Turning autonomy into growth: Using hyper-personalization and agentic marketplaces to create services, orchestrate ecosystems and monetize the network dynamically.

Moderator: Aaron Boasman-Patel, VP, Knowledge & Innovation, TM Forum
Zainab Ababri, Associate Fellow, Verizon     
Jay Naillon, SVP, CTO, Sutherland Global Services
Michael Medina, Executive Director, EY
Adrian Singereanu, Member of Technical Staff, T-Mobile 
Rohit Rajput, Practice Head, Tech Mahindra