Collective Intelligence Dr Axel Bruns KCB201 Virtual Cultures [email_address]

A New Renaissance Douglas Rushkoff’s vision: “ Renaissance literally means ‘rebirth’. It is the rebirth of old ideas in a new context. A renaissance is a dimensional leap, when our perspective shifts so dramatically that our understanding of the oldest, most fundamental elements of existence changes. The stories we have been using no longer work.” (pp. 32-33) Our “leap to authorship is precisely the character and quality of the dimensional leap associated with today’s renaissance.” (p. 35) “ Our current renaissance brings us from the role of interpreter to the role of author. We are the creators.” (p. 37)

Douglas Rushkoff’s vision:

“ Renaissance literally means ‘rebirth’. It is the rebirth of old ideas in a new context. A renaissance is a dimensional leap, when our perspective shifts so dramatically that our understanding of the oldest, most fundamental elements of existence changes. The stories we have been using no longer work.” (pp. 32-33)

Our “leap to authorship is precisely the character and quality of the dimensional leap associated with today’s renaissance.” (p. 35)

“ Our current renaissance brings us from the role of interpreter to the role of author. We are the creators.” (p. 37)

From Authorship to Collective Intelligence Constructing a new reality: “ We have witnessed together the wizard behind the curtain. We can all see, for this moment anyway, how so very much of what we have perceived of as reality is, in fact, merely social construction. More importantly, we have gained the ability to enact such wizardry ourselves.” (Rushkoff, p. 39) Produsage enables this: open source software development, citizen journalism, Wikipedia , … Pierre L é vy: “ This new human dimension of communication should obviously enable us to share our knowledge and acknowledge it to others, which is the fundamental condition for collective intelligence. Beyond this are two major possibilities, which could radically transform the fundamental data of social life. First, we will have at our disposal simple and practical means for knowing what we are doing as a group. Second, we will be able to manipulate, much more easily than we are able to write, the instruments for collective utterance.” ( Collective Intelligence , p. xxviii)

Constructing a new reality:

“ We have witnessed together the wizard behind the curtain. We can all see, for this moment anyway, how so very much of what we have perceived of as reality is, in fact, merely social construction. More importantly, we have gained the ability to enact such wizardry ourselves.” (Rushkoff, p. 39)

Produsage enables this:

open source software development, citizen journalism, Wikipedia , …

Pierre L é vy:

“ This new human dimension of communication should obviously enable us to share our knowledge and acknowledge it to others, which is the fundamental condition for collective intelligence. Beyond this are two major possibilities, which could radically transform the fundamental data of social life. First, we will have at our disposal simple and practical means for knowing what we are doing as a group. Second, we will be able to manipulate, much more easily than we are able to write, the instruments for collective utterance.”

( Collective Intelligence , p. xxviii)

A Collective of Individuals Collective intelligence does not mean ‘group-think’: “ [It] implies a new humanism that incorporates and enlarges the scope of self knowledge into a form of group knowledge and collective thought. … [It leads] to the creation of a distinct sense of community. … Far from merging individual intelligence into some indistinguishable magma, collective intelligence is a process of growth, differentiation, and the mutual revival of singularities [i.e., identities].” (L é vy, p. 17) Collective intelligence empowers the individual: “ The individual can do much; the individual in an organization or institution can do even more, but the individuals in a hyperconnected community, those individuals can change the world. When you multiply hyperintelligence with the understanding gathered in a hyperconnected community, you have the real force of the 21st century; not bombs, not ideology, but hyperpeople.” (Mark Pesce, “ Hyperintelligence ”)

Collective intelligence does not mean ‘group-think’:

“ [It] implies a new humanism that incorporates and enlarges the scope of self knowledge into a form of group knowledge and collective thought. … [It leads] to the creation of a distinct sense of community. … Far from merging individual intelligence into some indistinguishable magma, collective intelligence is a process of growth, differentiation, and the mutual revival of singularities [i.e., identities].” (L é vy, p. 17)

Collective intelligence empowers the individual:

“ The individual can do much; the individual in an organization or institution can do even more, but the individuals in a hyperconnected community, those individuals can change the world. When you multiply hyperintelligence with the understanding gathered in a hyperconnected community, you have the real force of the 21st century; not bombs, not ideology, but hyperpeople.” (Mark Pesce, “ Hyperintelligence ”)

Towards Collective Intelligence Collective intelligence as a process of transformation: “ What is collective intelligence? It is a form of universally distributed intelligence , constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and resulting in the effective mobilization of skills. ... The basis and goal of collaborative intelligence is the mutual recognition and enrichment of individuals.” (L é vy, p. 13) “ If we are committed to the process of collective intelligence, we will gradually create the technologies, sign systems, forms of social organization and regulation that enable us to think as a group, concentrate our intellectual and spiritual forces, and negotiate practical real-time solutions to the complex problems we must inevitably confront.” (L é vy xxvii)

Collective intelligence as a process of transformation:

“ What is collective intelligence? It is a form of universally distributed intelligence , constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and resulting in the effective mobilization of skills. ... The basis and goal of collaborative intelligence is the mutual recognition and enrichment of individuals.” (L é vy, p. 13)

“ If we are committed to the process of collective intelligence, we will gradually create the technologies, sign systems, forms of social organization and regulation that enable us to think as a group, concentrate our intellectual and spiritual forces, and negotiate practical real-time solutions to the complex problems we must inevitably confront.” (L é vy xxvii)

Small Steps We’re only at the start: produsage projects contribute to collective intelligence but collaborative and collective processes need to be better understood produsage is well-established in some informational areas, but less so in others skills, literacies, and capacities for effective participation are very unevenly distributed Henry Jenkins: “participation gap” between contributors and non-contributors What’s happened so far? “ Transparency in media makes information available to those who never had access to it before. Access to media technology empowers those same people to discuss how they might want to change the status quo. Finally, networking technologies allow for online collaboration in the implementation of new models, and the very real-world organisation of social activism and relief efforts.” (Rushkoff, p. 63) What happens next? That’s up to you…

We’re only at the start:

produsage projects contribute to collective intelligence

but collaborative and collective processes need to be better understood

produsage is well-established in some informational areas, but less so in others

skills, literacies, and capacities for effective participation are very unevenly distributed

Henry Jenkins: “participation gap” between contributors and non-contributors

What’s happened so far?

“ Transparency in media makes information available to those who never had access to it before. Access to media technology empowers those same people to discuss how they might want to change the status quo. Finally, networking technologies allow for online collaboration in the implementation of new models, and the very real-world organisation of social activism and relief efforts.” (Rushkoff, p. 63)

What happens next? That’s up to you…

Final Thoughts Underlying trends: data  information  knowledge  wisdom information  communication  collective intelligence Key processes: finding  evaluating  sharing (  finding  evaluating  sharing  …) networking, open source, DIY collaboration, produsage Effects: challenge to existing information and knowledge industries emergence of collaborative processes which may lead to collective intelligence “ The best evidence we have that something truly new is going on is our mainstream media’s inability to understand it.” (Rushkoff, pp. 53-54)

Underlying trends:

data  information  knowledge  wisdom

information  communication  collective intelligence

Key processes:

finding  evaluating  sharing (  finding  evaluating  sharing  …)

networking, open source, DIY collaboration, produsage

Effects:

challenge to existing information and knowledge industries

emergence of collaborative processes which may lead to collective intelligence

“ The best evidence we have that something truly new is going on is our mainstream media’s inability to understand it.” (Rushkoff, pp. 53-54)