Failures in Complex Systems: Case Studies, Causes, and Possible Remedies

摘要

Computers are the pervasive technology of our time. As computers become critically tied to human life, it also becomes more important that interactions with them are under control. They are no longer a novelty, but are integrated into the fabric of our world, performing both high and low-level tasks. That is, computers may be used to eliminate heavy, redundant work and more sophisticated machines have been deployed to perform remote surgery or detect subterranean landmines in repopulated civilian areas. The increasing importance of computers in our lives means that it is essential that the design of computer systems incorporates techniques that can ensure reliability, safety, and security. This paper will examine technological mishaps involving the use of computers. This review will include notorious software bugs that have affected finance, communication, transit, defense, health and medicine and other systems or industries. The sequences and etiology of these "accidents" will be discusses as well as how catastrophes may be avoided in the future through lessons and practices based on artificial intelligence research.