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Paper short abstract

In the domain of critical information infrastructures sociotechnical anticipation and repair practices are organized in a cyclical fashion to repeatedly create resilient futures. The prospect of AI use alters these practices, introduces new vulnerabilities and requires new approaches.

Paper long abstract

Critical information infrastructures have become vital systems for the continuous provision of essential services that enable a range of societal routines. The resilience of these sociotechnical systems (i.e., organizations and the technologies they operate) and the services they provide however, are routinely challenged by changes in the organization, emerging technologies, outside threats and environmental conditions.

The contribution to the panel focuses on the anticipation and repair practices of critical information infrastructure companies (e.g., internet exchange point operators, cyber defense center, telecommunication services), institutional actors that support them, security and safety standards as well as regulations. Their practices are organized in a cyclical fashion in order to bring forth and maintain the resilient futures of critical information infrastructures. The contribution also explores the implications of looming AI implementation in high-risk systems, like critical infrastructure, in spite of attempts to prevent the implications with proper regulation. AI introduces new anticipatory practices that are in need of recurring sociotechnical repairs (e.g., aligning, fine-tuning, retraining AI). Especially for highly complex and interdependent systems with a constantly changing environment, like critical information infrastructures, these new AI practices are prone to introduce vulnerabilities and require new approaches to address them.