14.3 Design for Values
309
14.3.8 Network Effects for Prosperity, Peace
and Sustainability
In our increasingly networked world, we currently experience a transition from
component-dominated to interaction-dominated systems. The resulting network
effects can change everything. Combinatorial innovation (i.e. innovation ecosystems), which would be enabled by a platform for informational self-determination,
could boost our economy. Supporting collective intelligence (which should be the
foundational principle of digital democracies) would benefit society. And a multidimensional real-time feedback system (a novel, socio-ecological finance system,
which we sometimes call Finance 4.0,
101 FIN4, FIN 4+ or just FIN+), would be able
to promote a sustainable circular and sharing economy and, thereby, help improve the
state of nature. In this way, harmony between humans and nature could be reached,
and everyone could benefit.
Finally, I would like to draw the attention to a computer simulation we have
performed in order to understand the evolution of “homo economicus”, the utilitymaximizing selfish man assumed in economics. To our surprise we found that, after
dozens of generations, people would develop other-regarding preferences and cooperative behavior, if parents raise children in their close neighborhood, as humans
do.
102 In fact, compared to other species, it is quite exceptional how many years of
their lives children spend with their parents. This makes a big difference, as it makes
(most) people social.
There is a huge benefit in this. If people are friendly to each other, they can
accomplish more and reach better outcomes. If it happens frequently enough that
“I help someone and this person helps someone else”, then also somebody will
help me. In such a way, “networked thinking” will emerge—and with it a powerful
support network (so-called “social capital”). Such cooperation will cause much
higher average success (see Fig. 14.6).
Interestingly, such networked thinking and benevolent behavior can now be
supported with digital technologies.
103 I believe, however, technological telepathy
104
is not needed for this—it might have even negative effects. But altogether, it is entirely
in our hands to create a better world. “Love your neighbor as yourself” (i.e. be fair
and give the concerns of others [and nature] as much weight as yours) is the simple
101 FuturICT 2.0: Towards a Sustainable Digital Society with a Socio-Ecological Finance System
(Finance 4.0) http://ebook.finfour.net; Falling Walls Lab 2020: The FIN4 project: Towards a sustainable digital Society with A Socio-Ecological finance system https://bit.ly/2VJEqEE; Dapp et al. [31],
Helbing [32].
102 Grund et al. [33].
103 Interaction Support Processor (2015) https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160350685A1/en,
Helbing [34].
104 Is Tech-Boosted Technology on Its Way, Forbes (December 4, 2018) https://www.forbes.com/
sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/12/04/is-tech-boosted-telepathy-on-its-way-nine-tech-experts-wei
gh-in/, Telepathic Technology is Here, But Are We Ready? Singularity (July 23, 2015) https://
www.singularityweblog.com/telepathic-technology-is-here-but-are-we-ready/.
309
14.3.8 Network Effects for Prosperity, Peace
and Sustainability
In our increasingly networked world, we currently experience a transition from
component-dominated to interaction-dominated systems. The resulting network
effects can change everything. Combinatorial innovation (i.e. innovation ecosystems), which would be enabled by a platform for informational self-determination,
could boost our economy. Supporting collective intelligence (which should be the
foundational principle of digital democracies) would benefit society. And a multidimensional real-time feedback system (a novel, socio-ecological finance system,
which we sometimes call Finance 4.0,
101 FIN4, FIN 4+ or just FIN+), would be able
to promote a sustainable circular and sharing economy and, thereby, help improve the
state of nature. In this way, harmony between humans and nature could be reached,
and everyone could benefit.
Finally, I would like to draw the attention to a computer simulation we have
performed in order to understand the evolution of “homo economicus”, the utilitymaximizing selfish man assumed in economics. To our surprise we found that, after
dozens of generations, people would develop other-regarding preferences and cooperative behavior, if parents raise children in their close neighborhood, as humans
do.
102 In fact, compared to other species, it is quite exceptional how many years of
their lives children spend with their parents. This makes a big difference, as it makes
(most) people social.
There is a huge benefit in this. If people are friendly to each other, they can
accomplish more and reach better outcomes. If it happens frequently enough that
“I help someone and this person helps someone else”, then also somebody will
help me. In such a way, “networked thinking” will emerge—and with it a powerful
support network (so-called “social capital”). Such cooperation will cause much
higher average success (see Fig. 14.6).
Interestingly, such networked thinking and benevolent behavior can now be
supported with digital technologies.
103 I believe, however, technological telepathy
104
is not needed for this—it might have even negative effects. But altogether, it is entirely
in our hands to create a better world. “Love your neighbor as yourself” (i.e. be fair
and give the concerns of others [and nature] as much weight as yours) is the simple
101 FuturICT 2.0: Towards a Sustainable Digital Society with a Socio-Ecological Finance System
(Finance 4.0) http://ebook.finfour.net; Falling Walls Lab 2020: The FIN4 project: Towards a sustainable digital Society with A Socio-Ecological finance system https://bit.ly/2VJEqEE; Dapp et al. [31],
Helbing [32].
102 Grund et al. [33].
103 Interaction Support Processor (2015) https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160350685A1/en,
Helbing [34].
104 Is Tech-Boosted Technology on Its Way, Forbes (December 4, 2018) https://www.forbes.com/
sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/12/04/is-tech-boosted-telepathy-on-its-way-nine-tech-experts-wei
gh-in/, Telepathic Technology is Here, But Are We Ready? Singularity (July 23, 2015) https://
www.singularityweblog.com/telepathic-technology-is-here-but-are-we-ready/.