The quest for combined generativity and criticality in digital-physical complex systems

AI in the Context of Complex Intelligent Systems: Engineering Management Consequences

“…This is particularly noteworthy given society's increasing reliance on complex systems infrastructures. New managerial and organizational capabilities as well as increased use of digital control systems have probably played an important role in safeguarding system criticality [11], [31]. This is for instance evident in contemporary practices in systems engineering involving organizational arrangements and routines, the use of a variety of model-based approaches, simulation, and architectural approaches [26].…”

“…They require distinctly different ways of organizing innovation processes, system architectures, and system integration capabilities [9], [10]. Over the last few decades, CoPS have transformed into digital-physical systems with an increasing role of electronics and software to achieve critical functionality [11]. At the same time, CoPS are becoming increasingly generative, i.e., they are emergent in character and display an inherent and recursive growth in diversity, scale, and embeddedness [12].…”

“…Building on a central challenge in contemporary CoPS, namely the quest to combine the merits of system generativity This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. For more information, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ and the need for safeguarding system criticality [11], the purpose of this article is to explore engineering management consequences following the inclusion of AI in the context of complex and increasingly intelligent systems. The article addresses particularly the implications of a combined focus on generativity and criticality and outlines the consequences for CoPS management.…”

“…In contrast, criticality is related to system properties, such as safety, security, and reliability [16], [17] and rather strict and control by a core organization (i.e., traditionally often system integrators) as well as adherence to standards, certification, and guidance by regulatory bodies [10], [16]. Although generativity and criticality are often perceived as widely disjunct and contradictory aspects, it seems that they can be addressed simultaneously through a combination of organizational, architectural, and management choices in engineering management [11]. They are also becoming inseparably intertwined as generative solutions are increasingly crucial for improved safety and reliability [8].…”

Shifting and Shaping: Physicality in Digital Innovation

“…Studies taking this view on physicality acknowledge that digital innovation happens in and with the physical world. As such, studies have focused on the mutually constituting dynamics between physical and digital components and activities that drive innovation, such as the constant interplay between situated instances of physical actors and environments on the one hand, and continuously generative digital technologies on the other Lakemond & Holmberg, 2022). While extreme cases like the "Metaverse" are illustrations of this dynamic that are unlikely to achieve more than fad status (Schöbel & Tingelhoff, 2023), studies in this space also focus on the increasing hybrid physicaldigital transformation of professional and personal lives, products, and industries Sundermeier, 2022).…”