Charlie Pilgrim (University of Leeds) – Computational Foundations of Collective Intelligence: Emergent Dynamics in Biological and Social Systems

Abstract: How do collectives solve problems that individuals cannot? Our analysis shows how collective computational resources give rise to traditional forms of collective intelligence (the wisdom of the crowd, collective sensing, specialisation, cultural learning), and highlights underexplored research areas (collective reasoning, deliberation, collective adaptation). We explore this framework through case studies of specific collective behaviours in vigilance for predators, cooperative hunting, gradient navigation, and cumulative culture.