# Collective Intelligence **Domain:** Cognition / Social Systems / Biology **Doc Type:** Concept Node **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition **Collective intelligence** is problem-solving, adaptation or decision capacity that arises from interactions among multiple agents and exceeds what relevant members could produce alone. It is broader than [[wiki/Distributed Intelligence|distributed intelligence]], which emphasizes where capability is located. Collective intelligence emphasizes the higher-order performance produced through communication, memory, specialization and coordination. ## Governing Variable The governing variable is coordination quality: what information is shared, how contributions are integrated and when the collective commits to action. ## Material and Computational Manifestation Bee colonies, scientific communities, markets, institutions and machine-agent systems can display bounded forms of collective intelligence without becoming one mind. Shared environments, standards and feedback often do more work than a central commander. ## Failure Modes Crowds can amplify error, conformity or manipulation. Collective output should not be treated as wise merely because it is distributed. Diversity, independence, feedback quality and correction matter. ## Related Ontology [[wiki/Distributed Intelligence|Distributed Intelligence]] · [[wiki/Superorganism|Superorganism]] · [[wiki/Institutional Superorganism|Institutional Superorganism]] · [[wiki/Higher-Order Agency|Higher-Order Agency]]