Rethinking the Socio-Enviro-Economic System
Dirk Helbing / August 2017

Part VI: Digital Upgrade of Democracy (“Digital Democracy”) ... We need social systems that are able to produce better solutions to complex problems.

Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess · Founder, CEO at TrueValueMetrics.org Modern technology has enabled many amazing things but better mass 'understanding' is probably not one of them. Communication may be more and faster, but maybe not so good. Dialog seems to have been hollowed out, and having computer algorithms thinking for you may have unexpected consequences. I have used management data all my life. The data only had value when we were able to understand what it meant and could act accordingly. What does social media mean? My impression is that it 'means' rather little! I see the challenge as being better to understand something more about what it is that constitutes quality of life, and what needs to happen in order for an individual, a family, a community to have a better quality of life. Collective intelligence is interesting, but bad algoriths are dangerous and might be the norm! Social media seems to be too much about me, not to mention wht advertisers want to know about me. A better world needs better understanding about everyone ... and a rebuilding of human community and physical community ... maybe facilitated in some way by virtual assistance, but in the end more about human and physical than digital. Peter Burgess http://truevaluemetrics.org
Peter Burgess

Future Of Globalization ... Part VI: Digital Upgrade of Democracy (“Digital Democracy”) ... We need social systems that are able to produce better solutions to complex problems.

By Dirk Helbing, August 25, 2017

Credit: www.flickr.com

Takeaways
... Around the world, many democracies have come about as a response to revolutions and wars.
... Social media have recently increased participatory opportunities, but they also have some drawbacks.
... The creation of collective intelligence requires a good educational system and reliable unbiased information.

Around the world, many democracies have come about as a response to revolutions and wars. Therefore, their defining features reflect the lessons learned through history.

These features include human dignity and human rights, the respect of a private sphere (in the sense of protection from exposure or misuse and the right to be left alone).

They also include self-determination, pluralism and protection of minorities, checks and balances, the separation of powers, anonymous and equal votes, equal opportunities, transparency, fairness, legitimacy and justice.

Good education, enlightenment and empowerment of people in order to enable them to make constructive contributions to our collective future are important elements of modern societies, too.

Role of social media

Social media have recently increased participatory opportunities, but they also have some drawbacks.

They have been criticized for promoting hate speech, filter bubbles and echo chambers, polarization and extremism, fake news and disinformation, as well as the manipulation of emotions, opinions, decisions and behavior.

Against this backdrop, it has been claimed that democracy and the wisdom of crowds do not work in the digital age.

New, data-driven, technocratic ways of decision-making would be more efficient and should, hence, replace democracy, which is claimed to be an “outdated technology.”

However, we need social systems that are able to produce alternative, better and diverse solutions to the complex problems we are faced with.

In particular, what matters for the performance of economies and societies is that people can unfold their knowledge, ideas, talents and resources well.

Harnessing collective intelligence

This requires a societal framework that is oriented at increasing co-creation opportunities for all and harnessing collective intelligence.

The creation of collective intelligence requires a good educational system, reliable, unbiased information, independent search of information and solutions and diversity.

Under such conditions, the combination of several solutions creates often a better solution to a complex problem than the single best solution.

Constructive forms of massive open online deliberation (MOOD) require new kinds of participatory platforms, which allow people affected by a problem to contribute arguments, ideas and concerns to the related debate.

These contributions would have to be organized in a logical, fact-based argument graph that works out the various perspectives on a complex problem and its various implications for diverse kinds of stakeholders.

Working out integrated solutions

Artificial Intelligence could help to organize the arguments, while experienced and trusted people should moderate the process in an unbiased manner.

Once the different arguments and perspectives are clear and possible solutions have been suggested, one should start a round table with key representatives of the different perspectives to work out integrated solutions in an innovative deliberation process.

A vote by the affected people on a “best of” list of integrated solutions should then decide which of the integrated solutions fits the needs of the people in the respective region best. It should then be implemented there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More on this topic How To Make Democracy Work in the Digital Age Part I: The Moral Duty of the Elites Part VII: Principles For a “Golden Age of Prosperity and Peace” 3 Tags: Artificial Intelligence, democracy, helbing-spotlight, latest, social media, technology About Dirk Helbing Dirk Helbing is Professor of Computational Social Science at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences and affiliate of the Computer Science Department at ETH Zurich. Full bio → | View all posts by Dirk Helbing

An Urgent Appeal to Save the Planet – Dirk Helbing Part I: The Moral Duty of the Elites Part II: Rethinking the World Economy: From Push to Pull Part III: A New Social Contract Part IV: Upgrading Today’s Capitalism Part V: Reform of the Financial System Part VI: Digital Upgrade of Democracy (“Digital Democracy”) Part VII: Guiding Principles for a “Golden Age of Prosperity and Peace”