  Wireless communication systems to date primarily rely on the orthogonality of
resources to facilitate the design and implementation, from user access to data
transmission. Emerging applications and scenarios in the sixth generation (6G)
wireless systems will require massive connectivity and transmission of a deluge
of data, which calls for more flexibility in the design concept that goes
beyond orthogonality. Furthermore, recent advances in signal processing and
learning have attracted considerable attention, as they provide promising
approaches to various complex and previously intractable problems of signal
processing in many fields. This article provides an overview of research
efforts to date in the field of signal processing and learning for
next-generation multiple access, with an emphasis on massive random access and
non-orthogonal multiple access. The promising interplay with new technologies
and the challenges in learning-based NGMA are discussed.
