Community networks and the evolution of civic intelligence

Although the intrinsic physicality of human beings has not changed in millennia, the species has managed to profoundly reconstitute the physical and social world it inhabits. Although the word "profound" is insufficient to describe the vast changes our world has undergone, it is sufficiently neutral to encompass both the opportunities -- and the challenges -- that our age provides. It is a premise of my work that technology, particularly information and communication technology (ICT), offers spectacular opportunities for humankind to address its collective problems. The problems themselves are equally spectacular: war and militarism, poverty, environmental depletion and destruction, disease, etc. and lack of successful alleviation may prove catastrophic. Humankind's problems won't be solved by elite fiat, by chance, or as a side-effect of the "free market." To address these challenges effectively and appropriately "civic intelligence" will be re...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: AIS
• Authors: Douglas Schuler
• Keywords: AIS 2010, Artificial Intelligence, Civic Intelligence, Communication Technology, Community Networks