Human Stigmergic Problem Solving

Abstract

Chapter 6 presents human stigmergic problem solving as a distinct “solution-centered” subtype of CI with biological antecedents in the trail laying and nest building of ants. Stigmergy describe how many individuals agents are able to coordinate collective action only by leaving information in a shared environment. In this type of collective problem solving, a version of a solution will already exist, either partially or completely. The problem-solving process will, therefore, be a response that changes the existing version of a solution by rating it like with an online video, re-estimating it through a prediction market, adapting it like an open textbook or completing it like a Wikipedia article. In human qualitative stigmergy, a preliminary part of a solution will be stored in the system or medium, and individuals will then respond to the unfinishedness in the solution in different ways. If many versions of a solutions already exist, human quantitative stigmergy can also be used to rate the most optimal solutions. In the online setting, solutions will be continuously compared with each other. These stored solutions also solve many different problems at various points of time.