Cyber-physical systems - Can technology be smart? Sascha Julian Oks Information technology has had a distinct influence on societies, their organizations and industries as well as the lives of their members. The automation of production processes and the usage of personal computers and mobile devices in both work and private related contexts are just a few examples. Nowadays, a further advancement brings inestimable potential based on IT infrastructure: The internet of things. Based on sensors, actuators and data analyzing solutions, cyber-physical systems build the infrastructure for new epoch of technology in use. The teƌŵ sŵaƌt is ofteŶ ŵeŶtioŶed ǁheŶ Đyďeƌ-physical systems are discussed in academia and practical oriented communities. But this smart does not refer to the systems users but to the technology itself. Smartness and the underlying intelligence were before characteristics which are strongly connected to living beings with gradations of different species. Even though the term artificial intelligence has been known for more than half a decade and associated developments reached iŵpƌessiǀe leǀels like IBM’s WatsoŶ uŶtil Ŷoǁ, huŵaŶ iŶtelligeŶĐe is still oďǀiously supeƌioƌ when it comes contextual understanding, continuous learning and decision making under unanticipated changing conditions. But how will the world look like if the visions based on cyber- physical systems around the term smart become reality? What if the cyber-physical systems reach a level of smartness that might not match the mental capabilities of humans but which is adequate to replace humans extensively in executing tasks, dangerous activities and basic fields of value creation? The aƌeas of appliĐatioŶ of sŵaƌt teĐhŶologies aƌe Ƌuite ďƌoad: “ŵaƌt hoŵe, sŵaƌt health, sŵaƌt ŵoďility, sŵaƌt logistiĐs, sŵaƌt gƌid, sŵaƌt faĐtoƌy aŶd fuƌtheƌ ŵoƌe. WheŶ aŶalyzing these ongoing occurrences the following points stand out:  The intended application fields for smart technologies fall into a multitude of areas of society and its people. From personal everyday activities and way of live (e.g. smart home) over organizational applications (e.g. smart factory) to infrastructural, economical and governmental scopes (e.g. smart mobility and smart grid).  The extensive implementation of cyber-physicals systems and other internet of things applications might exceed former introductions of technology with regard to sociological, industrial and economic impact and change. E.g. in the case of the smart factory the implementation of cyber-physical systems ascribed to the fourth industrial revolution.  Artificial intelligence is no longer predominantly just used for analytics and evaluation of data but leaves the cyber space to interact in form of robotic solutions with the physical world. The conducted research reflects the above described development from a philosophical and ethical perspective. By doing so, the following fields and questions find an emphasized consideration: Which consequences does it have, when smart technologies take over a multitude of executing tasks which were formerly conducted by persons and the proportion of executive to creative work changes significantly? Contemporary schools of thought of work ethics are applied to the formulated question. Furthermore a potential disentanglement of personal work and value creation and remuneration finds a philosophical evaluation: Is it desirable to free mankind from the performance of executive activities to offer the opportunity to fully focus on creative and scientific activities? Or is the conduction of executive work a meaningful activity beyond the income-generation? E.g. is it aspirational to approach the undersupply of workforce in elderly care by implementing smart