In the natural world, evolution is a relentless, adaptive force—shaped by mutation, selection, and environmental pressure. But what does it truly mean when we say our IT architectures are “evolving”? In this keynote, we will explore the parallels—and the critical divergences—between biological evolution and the development of modern IT systems. We’ll revisit the core mechanisms of evolution in nature and examine how concepts like fitness, adaptability, and emergence are (or are not) meaningfully applied in engineering contexts. Far from being a definitive account, this talk will present speculative and unproven ideas with the goal of sparking thought and open discussion. Can infrastructure really evolve? Are we applying the metaphor too loosely—or not boldly enough? Join us to challenge assumptions and explore whether new insights from biology could guide us toward more resilient, adaptive, and sustainable digital ecosystems.

In this session, you will get the answers to the following questions:

• What are the fundamental mechanisms of biological evolution, and how do they compare to change and adaptation in IT systems?
• In what ways is the metaphor of “evolution” useful—or misleading—when applied to IT architecture and infrastructure?
• How can we identify and design for evolutionary forces within software ecosystems, such as selection pressures, mutation, and inheritance?
• What speculative or emerging approaches might help us build systems that are truly adaptive, resilient, and capable of evolving?