System Archetypes I: The Traps Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering System Archetypes I: The Traps, including definitions, feedback loop structures, and real-world AI examples.

System Archetypes

Common, recurring patterns of behavior in organizational and natural systems that provide a grammar for understanding system behavior over time.

Limits to Growth

A systems archetype where a reinforcing feedback loop produces growth, but eventually a balancing loop slows or reverses that growth due to a limiting factor.

AI in Precision Agriculture (Limiting Factors)

Constraints in AgriTech adoption including lack of digital literacy among smallholder farmers, poor rural connectivity, model underperformance in local microclimates, and a trust deficit in black-box AI.

Shifting the Burden

A systems archetype where a symptomatic solution temporarily eases a problem, but over time reliance on the quick fix increases, the fundamental root cause is ignored, and system resilience weakens.

Customer Service AI Chatbots (Underlying Problems)

In the Shifting the Burden AI example, quick fixes of deploying chatbots ignore core structural issues such as broken product journeys, confusing policies or UX flaws, and a poor knowledge base.

Fixes that Fail

A systems archetype involving a short-term fix that leads to unintended consequences, ultimately worsening the original problem over time.

Fix -> Failure Loop (Social Media Moderation)

A reinforcing loop where $\text{More AI} \rightarrow \text{More bypass tactics} \rightarrow \text{More false positives/negatives} \rightarrow \text{User backlash} \rightarrow \text{Regulatory scrutiny} \rightarrow \text{Even more AI patches}$.

Shifting the Burden Structure

A structure composed of 3 feedback loops: Balancing Loop 1 (Problem $\rightarrow$ Symptomatic Fix $\rightarrow$ Reduction of Symptom), Balancing Loop 2 (Problem $\rightarrow$ Fundamental Solution $\rightarrow$ Reduction of Symptom), and a Reinforcing Loop (Symptomatic Fix $\rightarrow$ Side Effect $\rightarrow$ Weakens the Fundamental Solution).

Fixes that Fail Structure

A structure composed of 2 feedback loops: a Balancing Loop (Problem Symptom $\rightarrow$ Quick Fix $\rightarrow$ Reduction of Symptom) and a Reinforcing Loop (Quick Fix $\rightarrow$ Unintended Consequence $\rightarrow$ Increase in Problem Symptom).

Success to the Successful

A systems archetype where two entities compete for limited resources, and the one that gains an early advantage attracts more resources, reinforcing its dominance while the other declines despite equal capability.

Urban Advantage in AI Education Investment

Factors causing urban schools to receive earlier AI deployment, including better infrastructure and internet access, higher digital literacy, and measurable impact with minimal customization.