Global brains: the science and practice of collective intelligence at the level of whole systems

What is the science and practice of collective intelligence at the level of whole systems and at a global scale? How have attempts to organize intelligence at these scales evolved, and how might they evolve in the future? Recent research has attempted to find universal patterns in the organization of intelligence at multiple scales, from atoms and cells to birds and other animals and whole societies. This work offers insights for the design of intelligence at global scales that can support governance, whether for pandemics or climate change, and that can integrate data, models, algorithms, evidence, tacit knowledge, foresight and innovation. This opinion piece argues for analysing common features of intelligence at multiple scales; it describes some important examples of 'intelligence assemblies' in technologies, cities, professions and global initiatives; and it advocates drawing on this framework for understanding intelligence at multiple scales to accelerate both research and design for large-scale intelligence. Questions of macro-cognition design are arguably as important as micro-cognition in terms of potential social impact but they have been less comprehensively researched, partly because they cut across so many disciplinary boundaries. However, a better understanding of these phenomena may be vital for tackling the big global challenges of the twenty-first century and for humanity's future evolution. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of collective intelligence'.