Automated and human intelligence: direct and indirect consequences

The decision regarding the type and extent of 'automated' and 'human' intelligence in buildings can have consequences for performance issues ranging from energy and operational efficiency to inhabitant satisfaction and productivity. This article provides a framework for highlighting the distinction between human and automated approaches in different building contexts. Whereas considerable attention has been given to the direct implications of providing control through both types of intelligence, discussion on the indirect - predominantly qualitative consequences and benefits - remains less well defined. As such, this article examines and distinguishes between the direct consequences of both approaches and their respective indirect consequences, identifying these as anticipated or unforeseen, and positive or negative. While either automated or human intelligence can achieve similar desired performance outcomes, distinctions between them become most evident in the indirect consequences of their deployment, whether anticipated or unforeseen. The article suggests that an emphasis on human intelligence may offer the greatest potential indirect benefits.