Cycle Assessment of 6G Signal: Can 6G Provide the Antidote to our Fear? A century of blaming signals for our sickness: Is 6G's AI-guardian the ultimate antidote, or our most invisible trap yet?.

Abstract

For over a century, the introduction of new wireless technologies has been met with recurring public anxiety and unfounded health concerns, often linking invisible signals to global pandemics like the Spanish Flu, SARS, and COVID-19. While previous generations of wireless technology (3G through 5G) acted primarily as conduits for data, 6G represents a fundamental shift from "networks that connect" to "networks that think". Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), 6G networks will possess the ability to "see" and "hear" by interpreting signal reflections off physical environments.

While this evolution offers significant safety benefits—such as predicting landslides or monitoring floods—it introduces a profound shift in privacy: device-free tracking. Unlike previous technologies, 6G can identify and locate individuals without their permission or the presence of a mobile device, creating a "quiet digital mind" capable of granular, unavoidable surveillance. This paper identifies three primary risks: re-identification, uneven impact on vulnerable populations, and function creep. To prevent 6G from becoming a permanent surveillance state, the article argues for a new framework of Social Acceptance, prioritizing human rights, transparency, and the well-being of individuals over traditional technical metrics like speed and capacity. Ultimately, the success of 6G depends not on its intelligence, but on whether it is designed to be a guardian that the public can trust.