Collective Intelligence
Definition
Collective Intelligence is a new field of knowledge with ancient roots. At its core is a simple insight about the nature of human beings: we have evolved to collaborate, and are more likely to succeed when we collaborate effectively. Collective intelligence is the ability to solve complex problems as a group, where the collective ability can exceed that of any individual, and information flow is optimized in the group.
From Thucydides to Ibn Khaldun, John Stuart Mill to Peter Senge and Michael Tomasello, scholars through the ages have observed that groups can, under the right circumstances, build and preserve knowledge better than a single gifted individual. At the school of collective intelligence we study the details of how these processes happen, and we build state of the art tools to support new forms of knowledge-sharing, knowledge-aggregation and collective decision-making.
Tools
The study of collective intelligence embraces many domains of inquiry:
- Cognitive science, to understand the human mind, its biases and strengths
- Data science, to understand how collective decisions can be better informed
- Computer science, to develop new tools that enable effective collaboration
- Anthropology, to understand how human communities function
- Political innovation, to build more inclusive and effective institutions
- Facilitation, to develop the interpersonal skills needed to lead