SOMETHING NEW TO THINK (and worry) ABOUT

There are problems with technology changing faster than society can adapt. As people and computers become more closely connected, it is likely that they will become a kind of global brain. The question is, will this global brain create collective intelligence or collective stupidity? The scientific experts do not agree. We need to understand these possibilities better than we do now. How do we connect people and computers so that collectively, they act more intelligently? We must guard against stupidity created by mob psychology.

On the one hand, what’s to stop a mass of anonymous but connected people from suddenly turning into a mean mob? Historically and predating computers, People have been willing to give up personal identity and join a collective. That propensity has been very bad news. For example, Fascists, communist, religious cults, and criminal “families” tend to designate enemies, be violent, and discourage creative thought. We might be playing with fire! Just because we all become connected does not necessarily make us better.

On the other hand, the synergy of Internet-enabled collective intelligence, if managed properly, could be a boon for mankind. Most of what we think of as human intelligence has come about by our interactions as human beings. We learn languages, and we learn to communicate. Our intellectual achievements result not from a single person working alone but from interactions of an individual with a culture and a body of knowledge. I hope that collective intelligence can help us to become a part of a broader intelligent entity.