Siddeshwar Remma, an EDI / Data Integration Specialist at MIT Recourse LLC, writes a special column for DM about systems outsmarting their makers through Integration Singularity.
Let’s start will a common experience, suppose you are shopping online, or you went to a Jewellery shop, you might be surprised to see the browser on your mobile displaying best-suited jewels and other ornaments in advertisements. You feel wonder about what just happened. It’s a bit of a fascinating experience for us that speaks about smart technology. To be precise, it is the output of integration singularity at work. Integration singularity is when systems get so connected and clever that they work together better than the people who built them, almost like they have a mind of their own.
How is it possible? In simple words, it isn’t rocket science. EDI, or Electronic Data Interchange is a way in which thebusiness computers share data like orders and invoices between each other. Think of it as a super-fast chat between machines. This connection is the backbone of integration singularity, letting systems share information and make decisions in a flash.
Systems today don’t just follow orders; they learn and improve. For example, let us take a bike taxi service. Its computers see vehicular density, check the weather, and study traffic patterns. They reroute drivers to avoid delays before anyone notices a problem. We might be tricked into thinking that the system is fast, its machines communicate with hundreds of other machines so that they arrive at more efficient decision-making with the availability of vast amounts of data.
The systems we use are linked up in a way you can never imagine. Your smartwatch talks to your phone, which can also control your car or things in your home. In business, EDI ties suppliers, warehouses, and stores together. A warehouse computer can simply order a product ( book or grocery) automatically as the stock is getting low, and avoid denial of supply for a few days, which might have occurred if the humans keep on tallying each and every logistic for the day.Understand, it’s not about smartness, it’s more about machines talking to each other.
The amount of time, money, and effort saved will be huge. Factories can run smoother, warehouses will always keep things available for delivery, shops serve better, and doctors can monitor cases better. Coming to the first example, theperson attending a pizza store or jewelry shop can easily get more options about the product he wants to navigate.
Analyzing anything of its multiple facets is a mandatory job. What would be the problem, if machines get too smart, deciding things all by themselves? What if they reject a loan of a promising customer, or medical treatment just based on the pre-existing instructions manual they have? What would happen if they malfunction and exchange wrong information resulting in huge losses of money or lives? Who’s to blame?
There comes the part of guiding it, making sure the systems will stay transparent and serve our needs. As an EDI specialist, I see the power of connected machines every day. They’re not out to replace us—they’re tools we built. But we must stay in charge, keeping them aligned with what matters most: people, fairness, and trust. By setting clear rules and staying curious, we can make sure these systems help us build a better world, not take it over.