Big Mind

Subtitled 'how collective intelligence can change the world', this is a very stimulating book by the founder of the think tank Demos and current chief executive of NESTA. The new context of digital technologies has enabled societies and organisations to think on a large scale, although these smart capabilities do not necessarily lead to smart results. Collective in this sense means a combination of human and machine with conscious orchestration addressed to both thinking and acting in the face of complex problems. The first part examines the nature of collective intelligence, while the second moves on to functional elements, infrastructures, organising principles and learning loops. The third part looks at a variety of contexts including meetings (a very useful chapter), problem-solving, the corporate context, universities, democratic assembly and how a society might think and create as a system in the light of knowledge commons. I found the three loops of intelligent learning useful, where the first loop adapts thought and action within an existing framework, the second create new categories and models to think with, while the third involves rethinking how to think - this is similar to the three horizons model used in the International Futures Forum.

The final chapter considers collective wisdom and progress in consciousness given that collective intelligence seems to elicit a greater awareness of possibilities as well as of risk and precariousness. The author points out that the deeper political question raised in the book is whether we have potential for genuine progress in intelligence, not simply a rise in processing speeds or machine learning capabilities. For him, the critical issue is whether we can generate and make better choices, which is as much about wisdom as science, where wisdom 'entails transcending boundaries of self or identities and belonging' - this seems crucial to me, especially in an age of resurgent nationalism. Much depends on the generation of goodwill and trust – this is an engaging and important read.