Navigating the future of wireless networks: A multidimensional survey on semantic communications

This paper offers an in-depth exploration of semantic communications, focusing on its integral role in wireless networks. We dissect its foundational architecture and the key elements that enable seamless AI integration. Our research categorizes semantic communications into various multimedia and task types, evaluating their applicability in both single and multitasking environments. We also investigate resource allocation and goal-oriented strategies, supported by empirical case studies. The paper concludes by spotlighting emerging trends, including AI, IoT, and 5G beyond. It identifies pressing challenges such as standardization, security, and efficiency. Our work provides a holistic understanding of contemporary semantic communications paradigms. (c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).