Can digital products live for 100 years?

Buildings and physical products live for over 100 years. Similarly, many physical artifacts— whether it's furniture, tools, or vehicles— can endure for a century or more if maintained properly. Physical products, especially those made from durable materials like stone, wood, metal, and brick, can often withstand the test of time due to their inherent physical properties.

Digital products, on the other hand, are fundamentally different. They are built on intangible, ephemeral structures: software, code, and data. While their designs and functions can last a long time if properly maintained, they depend on the underlying technology (e.g., operating systems, hardware, platforms) that changes and evolves quickly. The life cycle of digital products is primarily determined by their usage and user base.

While architectural monuments are preserved as historical treasures, digital products are designed to serve specific needs and solve real-time problems. Their relevance depends on user interaction, which can change or diminish as new generations of technology and platforms emerge. A digital product may thrive for decades as long as it continues to meet the needs of its users, but if its functionality becomes obsolete or if it fails to adapt to new technologies, it risks fading into obscurity. Unlike architectural structures that can be preserved and admired, digital products face an ongoing challenge: they must evolve or risk being forgotten.

Can we create a system that evolves constantly adapts to new technology and user needs. We already are doing this partly by creating modular software and hardware systems, where parts of it can be upgraded. If we include constant feedback loop, that system understands and updates to help keep the software relevant and user friendly. But with respect technology, can they be layered and in such a way they system replaces the layers with new technology as and when it emerges. 

Or will we need to build a space to store historic digital system relics?  

Over time, we may need to create museum or archive where historic digital relics can be stored, preserved, and studied. Just like we have museums for ancient monuments there will likely be a need to preserve the "artifacts" of the digital age, ensuring that we can continue to study and understand the systems that paved the way for today's technological advancements.