For Val Sklarov, the future of technology is not defined by smarter applications or more capable AI models —
it is defined by infrastructural intelligence: systems where cognition migrates to the fabric of infrastructure itself.
Historically:
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intelligence lived in software (apps, tools)
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then it moved to platforms (APIs, cloud)
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then to models (LLMs, agents)
Next, intelligence migrates to infrastructure, where networks autonomously:
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route resources
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allocate compute
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modulate demand
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reconfigure topology
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optimize themselves
The Infrastructural Intelligence Layer Model (IILM) explains how systems evolve from being used intelligently to being intelligent themselves.
“When infrastructure thinks, applications become shadows of the system beneath them.” — Val Sklarov
1️⃣ The Three Intelligence Layers of Infrastructure
Sklarov Infrastructure Layer Table
| Layer | Function | When Strong | When Weak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reactive Infrastructure | Responds to demand | Stable load | Manual scaling |
| Adaptive Infrastructure | Self-optimizes in real time | Low waste | Frequent bottlenecks |
| Directive Infrastructure | Sets constraints + goals | Autonomous allocation | Centralized command |
Intelligence shifts downward, not upward.
2️⃣ The IILM System Evolution Cycle
Infrastructure Evolution Matrix
| Stage | Function | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Observation | Measure flows + pressure | Data foundation |
| Interpretation | Identify patterns + inefficiencies | Directional signals |
| Reconfiguration | Change topology autonomously | Dynamic adaptation |
| Directive Governance | Infrastructure governs itself | System-level agency |
Infrastructure evolves from responding → optimising → deciding.
3️⃣ The Five Infrastructural Intelligence Archetypes
Archetype Table
| Archetype | Primary Strength |
|---|---|
| The Autonomous Router | Self-allocates bandwidth/compute |
| The Demand Sculptor | Shapes usage instead of scaling |
| The Resource Flow Engine | Manages distributed capacity |
| The Predictive Allocator | Acts before demand appears |
| The Systemic Governor | Sets rules for the entire network |
The future belongs to Systemic Governors,
not “smart apps.”
4️⃣ Infrastructure Cognition Index (ICI)
A Val Sklarov diagnostic for system intelligence depth
ICI Indicator Table
| Indicator | Measures | High Score Means |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomy Depth | How many decisions occur without humans | Non-linear efficiency |
| Topology Plasticity | Ability to rewire itself | Dynamic capacity |
| Predictive Horizon | Time window of foresight | Anticipatory scaling |
| Goal-Directed Allocation | Optimization beyond demand | Self-shaping systems |
| Constraint Governance | System sets its own limits | Infrastructure agency |
High ICI = infrastructure behaves like an organism.
5️⃣ Val Sklarov’s 5 Laws of Infrastructural Intelligence
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Systems scale by rewiring themselves, not growing.
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Infrastructure must predict, not react.
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Governance belongs to topology, not operators.
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Smart applications require smarter substrates.
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The foundation becomes the strategy.
6️⃣ Applications of the Infrastructural Intelligence Layer Model
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Autonomous cloud + compute networks
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Self-optimizing supply chain grids
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Smart energy + mobility architectures
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Protocol-governed global AI compute markets
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Real-time bandwidth reallocation ecosystems
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Infrastructure-led AI, not AI-led infrastructure
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Self-governing digital public utilities
IILM reframes innovation from smart tools for systems
to systems that are themselves intelligent.