Instantly Deployable Expert Knowledge - Networks of Knowledge Engines

Knowledge and information are becoming the primary resources of the emerging information society. To exploit the potential of available expert knowledge, comprehension and application skills (i.e. The ability to acquire these skills is limited for any individual human. Consequently, the capacities to solve problems based on human knowledge in a manual (i.e. We envision a new systemic approach to enable scalable knowledge deployment without expert competences. Eventually, the system is meant to instantly deploy humanity's total knowledge in full depth for every individual challenge. To this end, we propose a sociotechnical framework that transforms expert knowledge into a solution creation system. Knowledge is represented by automated algorithms (knowledge engines). Executable compositions of knowledge engines (networks of knowledge engines) generate requested individual information at runtime. We outline how these knowledge representations could yield legal, ethical and social challenges and nurture new business and remuneration models on knowledge. We identify major technological and economic concepts that are already pushing the boundaries in knowledge utilisation: E.g. in artificial intelligence, knowledge bases, ontologies, advanced search tools, automation of knowledge work, the API economy. We indicate impacts on society, economy and labour. Existing developments are linked, including a specific use case in engineering design. 1 INSTANTLY DEPLOYABLE EXPERT KNOWLEDGE - NETWORKS OF KNOWLEDGE ENGINES For decades we experience an ongoing structural shift in value creation: from agricultural and industrial production to services and, more recently, to information-and knowledgebased services. Information and knowledge are becoming primary resources of the emerging knowledge society.