The anatomy of infrastructure is not unlike that of the human body, and we all know it’s possible to live long, healthy lives. But we also know that systems out of balance in the body lead to sickness and disease (or, in the case of Industrial Revolution, economic disease and monetary sickness). If innovation can be harnessed in balance, can the trauma of economic disruption be avoided? It hasn’t happened yet, as history has shown that human behavior, fear, and greed are more sure in life than death and taxes.
The Healthy Cyber-Anatomy
The human body consists of (depending on who you talk to) from 8-12 vital systems:
- Nervous System
- Endocrine System
- Respiratory System
- Cardiovascular, Circulatory System
- Lymphatic, Immune System
- Digestive, Excretory System
- Muscular, Skeletal System
- Reproductive System
Let’s use these systems to construct a Healthy Cyber-Anatomy. How would YOU match the Human Body Systems above with various Tech Innovations? Remember, we’re trying to construct an infrastructure with systems working in harmony: the Anatomy of the (Healthy) Future
Nervous System:
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Augmented Intelligence, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Neural Networks: Clearly, the best representation of the nervous system in our cyber-anatomy infrastructure is Artificial Intelligence, the future of which is Deep Learning (Augmented Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Neural Networks have actually been around some time). According to Nvidia: “Deep Learning has enabled many practical applications of Machine Learning and by extension the overall field of AI. Deep Learning breaks down tasks in ways that makes all kinds of machine assists seem possible, even likely. Driverless cars, better preventive healthcare, even better movie recommendations, are all here today or on the horizon. AI is the present and the future. With Deep Learning’s help, AI may even get to that science fiction state we’ve so long imagined.”
Endocrine System:
Blockchain, Fintech, Mobile Payments, Cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin: The endocrine system is in charge for movement of hormones throughout the body. Similarly, cryptocurrency use of the blockchain secures transaction and movement of assets from one party to another. Mess up your hormones and what happens? Emotions rage, chemical imbalance, and more. The brain gets poor instructions. The Blockchain ensures that our Artificial Intelligence gets instructions that are safe, true, and uncorrupted.
Respiratory System:
Smart Cities, Smart Grid, Energy Storage, Portable Power: The respiratory system takes in oxygen and releases carbon. Smart cities serve many functions, one of which is controlling carbon emission and securing clean energy. A larger lung capacity can be compared to a larger energy storage capacity. How long can you hold your breath? How long can you go without recharging your Tesla?
Cardiovascular, Circulatory System:
Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Industrial Things (IoIT), IoE (Internet of Everything): Here we really are talking about infrastructure: The primary job of the circulatory system is transporting materials, such as blood, throughout the body. The heart plays a key role in these systems. Likewise, the IoT and IoIT play a key role in our “cyber-anatomy,” … every robot needs a “heart.” 🙂 While AI tells all the other systems what to do, the Internet of Industrial Things more closely represents the execution of those instructions across the various systems, ensuring maximum synergy.
Lymphatic, Immune System:
Cybersecurity, Cyber Terrorism, Hacking, Asymmetrical Warfare: The immune system attacks germs and rids the body of disease. Our Immune System includes the skin, keeping harmful substances out of the body and holding beneficial substances in. Likewise, Cybersecurity is our first line of defense. It keeps out unwelcome “parasites” and secures our data and intellectual property.
Digestive, Excretory System:
Robotics, Drones, Autonomous Vehicles: The digestive system helps turn food into a form that the body can find useful. The nutrients that are taken into the body are distributed evenly by the circulatory system. Guess what Robots due in our cyber-anatomy? These little guys are getting the work done in our smart cities! Transportation, maintenance, manufacturing, and more, autonomous drones are the worker bees of our infrastructure.
Muscular, Skeletal System:
3D and 4D Printing: The muscular system partners with the skeletal system to help the body move. They give the body shape and structure. 3D and 4D printing, literally, give shape to our Artificial Future. “3D printing has grown in sophistication since the late 1970s; TED Fellow Skylar Tibbits is shaping the next development, which he calls 4D printing, where the fourth dimension is time. This emerging technology will allow us to print objects that then reshape themselves or self-assemble over time. Think: a printed cube that folds before your eyes, or a printed pipe able to sense the need to expand or contract.”
Reproductive System:
Big Data, Data Science, Data Mining: The major function of the reproductive system is to ensure survival of the species. How does Big Data relate? Via Pew Research: “Tech experts believe the vast quantities of data that humans and machines will be creating by the year 2020 could enhance productivity, improve organizational transparency, and expand the frontier of the knowable future.”