Smart Systems Everywhere – Intelligence, Autonomy, Technology and Society

Smart Anything Everywhere – that’s the new hype on IoT, Internet of Things, combined with Intelligence, Autonomy and Connectivity. IoT is the infrastructure, Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are the basis of components and “Things” – may they be visible or integrated into every day devices. Comfort, health, services of all kinds, safety, security and privacy of people depend increasingly on these. The challenges have been e.g. taken up by AIOTI, the Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation, or ARTEMIS, EPoSS and AENEAS, the three industrial associations in the ECSEL Joint Undertaking, with an industry-oriented European Research Program, and many national programs, e.g. by BMVIT (Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology). Highly automated or autonomous smart interacting systems are becoming the main drivers for innovations and efficient services. The impact on society and economy is tremendous and will change our way of living and economy in a disruptive manner, and we will face not only benefits but also new hazards and risks. Dependability (safety, reliability, availability, security, maintainability, resilience, etc.) in a holistic sense becomes an important issue. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and open, adaptive systems in a rather unpredictable environment are key challenges for systems of systems.
The paper will try to provide an overview not primarily on technological but also on some economic, societal and ethical aspects of highly automated and autonomous system in a changing world, hopefully better than the “Brave New World” of Aldous Huxley or “1984”.