What is the best way to describe a progressive, advancing cycle?

Question

Commonly, individuals talk about how two opposing interests will invent "game changing," technology that renders the other interest useless until that interest, in turn, invents a new technology. The best example I can give is with weapons and armor:

[with some simplification]

Simple weapons resulted in Leather Armor
Metal Weapons outmoded Leather Armor
Metal Armor outmoded Metal
Weapons
Simple Firearms outmoded Metal Armor 
Tanks outmoded Simple Firearms

I'm looking for a term similar to "a vicious cycle," but that I can use to describe how a business could play increasingly complex games with income reporting, forcing 3rd party auditors to spend more time checking their work.

Alternatively, a less pejorative phrase similar to "If you make something idiot-proof, God designs a better idiot." would work.

Elliot · Answer

You will want to look into descriptions of schemes that are tactical vs strategic. This is the level of gamesmanship you are describing.

With regard to escalating armaments you might consider the idea of the Axe maker's Gift. This is the notion that as technology develops, say to feed more people the population increases to outstrip the new technologies abilities. Such escalations are common thought history.

k1eran · Answer

From https://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/definition/feedback-loop

A feedback loop is the part of a system in which some portion (or all)
of the system's output is used as input for future operations. Each
feedback loop has a minimum of four stages. During the first stage,
input is created. During the second stage, input is captured and
stored. During the third stage, input is analyzed and during the
fourth stage, the insight gained from analysis is used to make
decisions.
Feedback loops can be either negative or positive. [...]
In contrast, positive feedback loops simply repeat actions that have
been effective in the past. The intention of a positive feedback loop
is to amplify a desired variable and naturally move the system away
from its starting state to a desired state. Problems can occur,
however, when the positive feedback loop grows exponentially without
any checks or balances. In such a scenario, a runaway positive
feedback loop can make a system become unstable.

What is the best way to describe a progressive, advancing cycle?

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