Automation in Cyber–Physical Systems (CPS) is undergoing a structural transformation, disrupted by recent technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual/Augmented Reality (AR/VR), 5/6G, etc. However, an entire paradigm shift is on the horizon, pushing automation beyond traditional borders and towards operation environments where conditions change, uncertainty is high, or data are unstructured. To this end, regardless of the specific application domain, achieving superior responsiveness, autonomy, and resilience will require an Artificial Intelligence (AI) no longer confined to the application or Cloud layer. Instead, intelligence must be natively shared and coordinated across devices, system service, application software, and even the network itself. Therefore, this perspective paper argues that an intriguing direction for intelligent automation is represented from what we term the Intelligence Continuum: a seamless integration of Edge AI, Smart Networking, and Cloud AI, jointly operating under the principles of Continuum Computing and Network Intelligence. We first outline the limitations of current architectures and related paradigms in dealing with complex Cyber-Physical Ecosystems (CPeS). Then, we articulate the need for a cross-layer AI to support an application-centric design philosophy with a unified control loop, jointly considering computation and communication across the continuum. Hence, we highlight the enabling and operational role of Digital Twins as the glue and substrate of next-generation intelligent CPeS. Finally, we discuss key research challenges, implications, and future directions for achieving continuum-native intelligent automation.
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Cross-Layer AI for Cyber-Physical Ecosystems: The Intelligence Continuum
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Received: 28 Dec 2025 | Revised: 20 Jan 2026 | Accepted: 26 Feb 2026 | Published: 27 Feb 2026
Abstract
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