Diversity, Disconnection, Discord, and Other Properties of Collective Intelligence

Explore the dynamics of collective intelligence in a thought-provoking conference talk by James Evans from the University of Chicago. Delve into the concept of "collective abduction" and its role in scientific, technological, business, and civic innovation. Examine how unexpected findings and conflicts drive innovators to forge new insights, making the surprising unsurprising. Analyze data from millions of research papers and patents across various fields to understand how surprising discoveries emerge across diverse collaborators. Investigate the relationship between connection, conformity, and innovation, and learn about simulations demonstrating the impact of crowded fields on collective inferences. Discover an inverted approach to artificial intelligence that prioritizes diversity and violates established field boundaries, leading to successful innovations. Conclude with a discussion on the challenges and prospects for sustainable innovation in a connected age, focusing on the importance of preserving difference in science, society, and AI.