Autonomous Systems and AI

Automation always adds new elements of risk in application.   So IT groups have to start thinking differently when autonomous systems are  built and implemented. 

How Autonomous Systems are Impacting IT in Informationweek

Automation isn't new to IT, but autonomous systems are, which is why IT leaders and professionals have to think about the value they're delivering, again.

More tasks in organizations are being automated these days, including in IT. Automation and autonomous systems aren't synonymous, though. Autonomous systems are a subset of automation, but people tend to confuse the terms. Understanding the impact of autonomous systems on the IT group first requires a clear understanding of what those systems are.

For example, the Oracle Autonomous Database is just one product that could disrupt at least part of IT's status quo because it does three things autonomously: self-management, self-security, and self-repair. Collectively, those things reduce the need for IT to apply patches, managing databases and infrastructure so DBAs and others who used to perform such tasks have more time to improve data models, work with developers to improve database access, drive more value from data, etc. (For the purposes of full disclosure, this author does some work with Oracle).

For example, the big selling point for any type of automation is eliminating or minimizing human error. A lot of IT automation is happening in the cloud today, so the general cloud benefits apply: manual management is minimal, cloud provides higher reliability than in-house data centers, operational efficiency improves and, usually, total cost of ownership (TCO) is lower. Cloud can also provide better security than on-premises equivalents, albeit not inherently as part of a basic service.

What differentiates autonomous systems from more traditional forms of automation is machine learning. However, PwC New Services and Emerging Technology Leader for China, Japan and the U.S. Scott Likens said in an interview that most people still think of autonomous systems as business-rule programmable.

Understanding the spectrum of automation is wise because marketers will use the terms "automation" and "autonomous systems" interchangeably either intentionally or by mistake. It's therefore important to validate and verify vendors' claims to truly understand the potential impact of their products on IT. Responsible consultants do that, and it's one reason why enterprises hire them to help with automation initiatives or other initiatives involving automation. .....  "