Collective Intelligence

Collective Intelligence = "the capacity of a human community to evolve toward higher order complexity thought, problem-solving and integration through collaboration and innovation" (George Por

URL = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_intelligence

Definitions

Tom Attlee of the Co-Intelligence Institute has a restricted definition of collective intelligence, which he considers to be 'only one-fifth of co-intelligence', see http://www.co-intelligence.org/Collective_Intelligence.html

Taxonomy of Collective Intelligence

Proposed by George Por at http://www.community-intelligence.com/blogs/public/2006/05/forms_of_collective_intelligen.html

"a. Dialogic CI – A diverse group of participants suspend their old mental models and engage in dialogue that values the emergent whole higher than its parts. Variations of this approach include Bohmian dialogue, "generative conversation" (Otto Scharmer)

b. Co-evolutionary CI – This form of CI builds on the power of such evolutionary mechanisms generating intelligence over time as trial and error, differentiation and integration, competition and collaboration, etc. Its examples include: ecosystems, sciences, and cultures.

c. Flow-based CI – A group of people become so absorbed in a shared activity that they experience being completely at one with it and one another. Ensembles, high-performance sport teams, astronauts, and others in that state of communion, report on both an enhanced state of autonomy, and collective intelligence.

d. Statistical CI - Individuals thinking and acting separately in large crowds can reach successful conclusion about their collective cognitive, coordination or predictive challenges. Examples include the "intelligence" of markets and cases popularized in the "Wisdom of Crowds" by James Surowiecki.

e. Human-machine CI – This form of CI leverages the synergy of the human mind and its electronic extensions, drawing on the best capacities of both. The "collective" includes symbiotic networks of humans and computers working together and developing compound capabilities. It can also support all other forms of CI." (http://www.community-intelligence.com/blogs/public/2006/05/forms_of_collective_intelligen.html)

Difference between Wisdom of Crowds and Collective Intelligence

Sam Rose explains the issue, inspired by Henry Jenkins, at http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/?p=662:

"According to Henry Jenkins, the “wisdom of crowds” is applicable towards aggregating dispersed knowledge about quantifiable, objective data, while “collective intelligence” is intelligence that derives from collective behavior and stigmergic, and/or consensus decision making.

The need for independence among “crowd” members contrasts with the requirement for connection and collaboration to see collective intelligence work.

The Wisdom of Crowds generally breaks down when information sharing/group think starts to skew and bias people towards errors. Collective Intelligence overcomes this by looking at different ways that groups can systematically enhance and improve collaboration and cooperation." (http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/?p=662)

More Information

1. The Website on Co-Intelligence, by Tom Attlee at http://www.co-intelligence.org/

See the related entry on Co-intelligence and the Wisdom of Crowds

Key Books to Read

1. Jean-Francois Noubel. Collective Intelligence. [1] - Primer from 2004

1. Pierre Levy, Aux Origines de L'Intelligence Collective. [2] - Excerpt from a book, on historical precedents for the concept.