Meditations onCOLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

Pierre Lévy

Collective intelligencethe new source of empowerment

Tools : digital communication, sharing of memory, perception and imagination.

Process : collective learning and creativity, exchange of knowledge, competitive cooperation and cooperative competition in the production of knowledge

The Art of multiplying intelligenceGames where the winners enhance and use the

available intelligence and cooperate more efficiently

Ground : living unity and diversity of the noosphere: the world of language interconnected in cyberspace

Society = Mind

Individuals = NodesEmotions = LinksEvolution du monde des idées

Technology = Structure

Evolution of the World of Ideas

Community = Network

Collective intelligence = learning powerCollective intelligence = learning power

πmeaning

πConceptualintelligence

Practicalintelligence

Emotionnalintelligence

Religion, ethics, law, institutions, psychology, relational thinking

Mathematics, philosophy, communication, art, litterature, semiotics, abstract thinking

Energy, tools, architecture, agriculture, industry, engineering, practical thinking

Collective intelligence = harmony between the three dimensions of human learning

Collective intelligence dynamics

Collective

Intelligence

creationcreation

creation creation

•Reproduction, mutation, transmission •Dialectic of memory and interprétation•creation of meaning (evolutive time )

•Virtuality•Dialectic of problems and learning•Opening of meaning (existential depth)

Questions

DialoguesStories and descriptions

Reciprocal implication

•Otherness, meeting of the other•Network of multilogic communication•Circulation and translation of meaning (Space of differing universes)

Collective intelligence dialecticCollective intelligence dialectic

Evolution of language life : improvements of collective memory

Constitution of the noospherenoosphere : ubiquity andinterconnection of cultural signs in cyberspace. Writing gains abilities for autonomous action (software and robots)

Technical self-reproduction of the alphabet and images

Writing becomes digital and universal

Autonomous technical memory of language

myths, rites, oral transmission,memory inscribed in matter

OralityOrality

WritingWriting

AlphabetAlphabet

Printing PressPrinting Press

CyberspaceCyberspace

Evolution of language life : forms in progress

OralityOrality

WritingWriting

AlphabetAlphabet

Printing PressPrinting Press

CyberspaceCyberspace

Agriculture, livestock farming , city, state, law, systematic knowledge, school

Technique, art, images, music, religion, complex social rules

Monotheism, money, commerce, citizenship,universal science

Experimental science, mass industry, capitalism, global market, human rights,modern democracies

Deliberate collective intelligence, omnivision, economy of knowledge and ideas, global cyberdemocracy, culture of diversity, conscious piloting of biospere’s evolution

Cyberspace Printing press

Alphabet

Information economyScienceReligion

World wide WebLibrary

Bible

Orality

EconomyEconomy : hunting, gatheringPoliticsPolitics : tribeReligionReligion : animism, chamanismKnowledgeKnowledge : myths, rituals, know-howSpaceSpace : centered cosmosTimeTime : cyclic

Writing

EconomyEconomy : agriculturePoliticsPolitics : State, law, justiceReligionsReligions : polytheist with priestsKnowledgeKnowledge : systematicSpaceSpace : territory TimeTime : HistoryPowerPower : great civilisations of ideographic

writing : Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, Pre-Columbian cultures, etc.

The Alphabet

EconomyEconomy : commerce, moneyPoliticsPolitics : city, democracyReligionReligion : monotheism, buddhismKnowledgeKnowledge : sciences & philosophies with

universal scopeSpaceSpace : universal but abstractTimeTime : consciousness of historyPowerPower : alphabetical empires (Alexander,

César, Mahomet)

The Printing PressEconomyEconomy: Industry, global market, capitalismPoliticsPolitics: public opinion, modern democracies,

human rightsReligionReligion: reform, religions of terrestrial

salvation (socialism, liberalism)KnowledgeKnowledge: modern experimental scienceSpaceSpace: interconnection of the earth TimeTime: revolutionsPowerPower: the printing press civilisation (Europe)

dominates the world

CyberspaceEconomyEconomy of ideas. Collective intelligence

and creativity.PoliticsPolitics: towards a global confederation

with electronic democracyReligionReligion: planetary syncretism. Eastern /

Western merging. Evolutionism.KnowledgeKnowledge: Simulation & OmnivisionSpaceSpace : virtual (the real territory is

semantic)TimeTime: realPower:Power: civilization of computers, “global-

american”

Three evolutionary spheres

Digital code = DNA : life, self organized molecular processes

Digital code = Nervous systems : perception-action, phenomenal worlds

Digital code = Language : culture Writing : memory of language detached from

speakers Alphabet : universal code Printing Press : autonomous self reproduction

of language Cyberspace : ubiquity and autonomous action

of language. Universal sphere of language. Techno-noosphere. Culture-Biology merging.

The three ecologies

Semantic ecology

Emotional and perceptive ecology

Organic ecology

Techno-noosphere

DNA

OrganismsMolecular processes

Perception

Nervous Systems

Languages

Software life Genetic engineering

Virtual

reality

Neu

roco

nnex

ion

Hyperbodies

Cyberspace

inclusion

universality

transparency

CYBERSPACE

inclusiveness

EVERYBODY has his website

is included in the public sphere

is a source of meaning

is a facet of the collective intelligence

has a voice

participates to the concert

civilisation of dialogue

the concert is more harmonious

when everybody

listen to everybody

Transparency

omnivision

Everything and everyone wants to be acknowledged

Anybody can see everything from

anywhere

Everyone can show everything

to anybody

making the invisible visible

Being transparent = empowerment

DIGITAL = PUBLIC

human society is becoming

transparent to itself

Evil fears light

Vision is a creative process

UniversalityUniversality general interconnectiongeneral interconnection

Noosphere : virtual biosphereof human langage in cyberspace

Nervous system of Gaïa piloting the future biological evolution

LIFE born out of freedomsigns reproduce themselves, live in society, act by themselves (softwares, simulations, artificial life, societies of robots and knowbots)

GAÏA

LIFE giving birth to freedom : collective intelligence of the human mind

EXPANSION OF DIVERSITYEXPANSION OF DIVERSITY

Knowledge in flux : the second flood

The end of knowledge in stock ; knowledge in flux and general drifting

Young people can be more skilled than their elders, ancient ways of cultural transmission are outdated

What must we put in the ark ? Classifications and hierarchies are temporary and incidental. Several arks practicing collective intelligence.

Growing responsibility of individuals and groups in the search, production and selection of knowledge.

Learning navigation (there will be no landing)

The web as an embodiment of CI

The collective mind as a semantic network = sites + links

Energetic, emotional and practical aspects = hits + money + transactions

Reminding processes = search engines Ideas = web sites

Mix of discursive interpretation and sensory memory (text and multimedia)

Every « idea » is a virtual center of the mind => Mobile and entangled hierarchy between areas of knowledge and ideas

Portals = universal « concepts » Sites = « ideas » of individuals

Mind’s life or « world of ideas » = wild evolutionary noetic ecology

Collective intelligence

digitalgrace

informational capitalism

cyberdemocracy

cyberdemocracy

PEACEONE MANY

cyberspacescience

technologymarketfreedom

human raceart

biosphereplanetlove

virtual communities

ideastribes

intereststraditions

tastesspecies

territoriesreligions

globallaw

justicegovernment

Continuous improvement of collective intelligence

Free circulationCreation of diversity

• digital cities• local

e governments• virtual agoras• votes on line

Cyberdemocratic governance

intelligence collective

Simulationbiosphère

Forecasting

Con

scio

us

cons

ompt

ion

FinancesTaxes

RegulationJu

stic

eLegislation

Execution

omnivision

Biosphere simulation

FinanceJust

ice

Law

Dialogue

Dialogue Dialogue

Networks of virtual agoras and parliaments,Internetvoting

Network of transparent

budgets

Environnemental simulation networks

the transparent state

COLLECTIVE COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCEINTELLIGENCE

collective intelligence reflected in the mirror of the transparent state

The state serving collective intelligence

Informational capitalism

creationfrom

digital grace

regulationfrom

cyberdemocratic law

main economic goods non destructive consumption

ubiquity in cyberspacemain production factor

unexpectedcommunism

Planetary public services

Megamergers : 3 multinational

companies for each econommic sector

worldwide.

Conscious investment

Shares possessed by the global

population playing the stock marcket

on line..

Conscious consumption controlled bya transparent cybermarket.

Information

collective intelligence and

creativity

Learningorganisations

Intertwining virtual communities of

knowledge workers,consumers, investors

and partners.

Continuousrevolution in products,

management,finance, marketing,

etc.

CooperativecompetitionCompetitive

advantage to theinventors of the

most cooperativegames.

Money

Ideas

Informations

Creation

Orientation

EvaluationIn

terp

reta

tion

Idea = knowledge form (memory)Information = knowledge novelty (perception)Money = knowledge energy (action)

Knowledge Economy

Ideas to be discovered

Ideas to be discovered

Ideas to be discovered

Ideas to be discovered

Appropriate ideas

Area of maximal collective intelligence

The economic expansion of the world of ideas “appropriate” = “appropriated”

Public domain

Working = cultivating ideas

Producers of appropriate ideas: designers, authors, artists, scientific researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs

Ideas achievers: administrators, producers, engineers, workers...

APPLICATION IDEAS OF APPLICATION IDEAS

IDEASAPPLICATION IDEAS

Collective intelligence farmers: managers, leaders, community animators, critics...

Ideas broadcasters: performers, publishers, distributors, sellers, advertisers, communicators, professors...

The company, a virtual communityThe company: intertwined symbiotic virtual

communities customers, employees, partners, investors

The transparent company Flat hierarchy Open communication with partners, customers and

shareholders (collaborative business) Hypertext company : web, intranet, extranet

The virtual company = coordination and actualisation of skills unit ≠ legal or spatio-temporal unit

The company: a project of collective intelligence Art of cooperation and synergies between

informational and intellectual resources Art of service and dialogue. dialogue. Ethics of conversation.Ethics of conversation.

The market, intertwined virtual communities

Every market is determined by a (second) information market concerning trends, prices and qualities of goods and services.

Cyberspace isis an information market and a transversal (many to many) communication space.

Markets (including the jobs market) become on line conversations networks in a transparent global space.

Economic actors become web-media and self-media in a global communication space structured by the conversation dynamics of virtual communities.

What does distinguish the philosophy of collective intelligence ?

Mind’s life - negative dialectic in the inner monologue of the absolute mind - mutual questioning and cross interpretations of stories in the multilogic meeting place of collective intelligence

Ontology and epistemology- realism : we should recognize that things are as they are- constructivism : we are committed to a creative co-evolutionary process with our environment

Goal - power (sterilization of the other) - empowerment (fertility, creativity)

Practical strategy- power struggle (what is at stake is defeat or victory) - interpretation relationship (what is at stake is creation of meaning)

Collective intelligence ethics Each one of us is an autonomous and responsible

source of meaning. We can enrich our world by integrating others as

autonomous interpretation centers who are complete worlds in themselves.

What is to be done with the other’s meaning production ? Ignore it, tolérate it, despise it, beat it, imitate it…? this would not be a dialogue.

Collective intelligence is the reciprocal implication and mutual recognition of autonomous world ’s sources.

Design

No theories

Added value

Culturedesign

Continuous learning

Cognitive systemsdesign

Design oriented organisations

digital

grace

INFINITE EMPTINESS

mysticquest

CREATION

technoscience

art

philosophy

new forms

new meanings

new ideas

new questionsnew

games

improvements of collective intelligence

new life

new ways to bridge minds

new bodies

new perceptions

new languages