This is from another list (Pho) and after I suggested AoIR to Rome, he asked if I might forward. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Rome Viharo <rome.viharo@gmail.com> Some of you have become friends over the years, but I could use some advice from ya'll if you feel so kind. One of those projects from back then continued to evolve, and this year just received acceptance into Phase 1 for the National Science Foundation, endorsed by Lucas Dixon from Google Jigsaw. For the grant, I need to acquire an academic research partner, hence the request to this forum. Full grant is $2M for the project. The project is researching a unique algorithm highly relevant in today's media, especially around online disinformation, fact checking, and harassment. The project is a whole system of "non-dual" consensus building using computer/human interaction. I demonstrate a very unique algorithm that, in theory, will allow large-scale mutually resolving consensus building on the world wide web. The algorithm, in theory, will only allow one mathematical and psychological outcome, resolution, and the consensus process allows for the publication of an article or contract, without a third party, that reflects this resolution, to the web. Ideally, I am looking for someone with strong academic connections who can join the project and mentor through the NSF process with an academic partner (UCLA, Columbia University, Washington University, MIT current contenders). I've never had to work within academia before so this next step is proving to be a challenge. Can help? Attached is a summary of the project, and if anyone is curious to see how it works, I do a zoom presentation and its fun too! The project is NOT LOOKING for investment, my intentions here are pure :) Thanks for the consideration, I could use all the help I can get Cheers Rome *Aiki Wiki ™* *Non-Dual Consensus Building Platform* Human-Computer Interaction Summary By Rome Viharo, 2021 “Aiki Wiki” is the designated name for a whole system of non-dual consensus building and methodology; a combination of a unique algorithm along with a methodology for human-computer interaction that theoretically allows for mutually resolving consensus building at scale on the world wide web. The algorithm guides an online discussion into a very subtle form of gamification in such a way that will only allow for one mathematical and psychological outcome, a “win-win” publishable resolution. The whole system brings Psychology and Game Theory programmatically into online discussion on the web and in theory, through this very practical and demonstrable “non-dual” approach, the whole system transmutes arguments, disagreements, conflicts, any type of negotiation into a “win-win” collaborative discussion that publishes an article to the web that can be verifiably trusted. The project has received endorsement from Lucas Dixon, Chief Science Officer from Google Jigsaw (2010-2019) and has received acceptance in the National Science Foundation Phase 1. For the full grant, $2M, we wish to prove a whole system of consensus building, summarized below. *What?* In Theory, Aiki Wiki is designed on a simple set of assumptions about underlying causes of conflict and disagreement, especially psychological forces, and identifies a naturally occurring psychological process that is continually resolving, expressed in behaviors that can be measured and mapped mathematically, theoretically allowing for a surprising programmatic ability to compliment and capture what are historically considered elusive human properties as data points. These assumptions were based upon observation, not theory. They are derived from patterns discovered in “critical mass consensus” events that occur in online media, from social media to discussion forums to Wikipedia. This “pattern” in critical mass consensus on the internet was first observed almost twenty years ago, and from this observation evolved a theory and an interface that could capture and repeat this dynamic programmatically. With the full research grant, I wish to prove and test resolution across many sectors, from interpersonal to institutional, including both legal dispute resolution as well as conflict resolution as a social psychology, to educational and academic applications. The research can test and prove that the whole system, as a form of human-computer interaction which would provide a digital platform and library, Aiki Wiki can potentially offer profound digital solutions and software to eradicate misinformation from internet publishing, and even solutions for things like online harassment or toxic web activity. With the full research grant we can test and prove a system of consensus building that can potentially scale to the thousands, potentially even millions, creating a pathway for a large consensus to form quickly, overcoming the hurdle of world autocracies giving social democracies the current ability to build a consensus. With the research grant, we can test and prove that the whole system will be able to offer new and unique methods to measure things like honesty, rationality, and collaboration on the world wide web. *The implications of a global win-win social media superhighway on the world wide web.* Imagine the impact of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of individuals comprised of ideological divides spread across the cultural, political and social spectrum arriving at critical resolutions to key issues or even intractable problems such as Covid19 or climate change, in rapidly shorts amount of time, weeks, days even? Imagine law and court systems processing dispute resolution at scale through such an algorithm? Next, imagine the implications of the global scale of such a process? At first, such a thing does not even seem possible, yet it is indeed what this project predicts within its scope, laying out a practical pathway in which these improbable outcomes become the only possible outcome.
From the algorithm an AI can be derived that guides all conversation in the system towards a fully rational and mutually resolving consensus which can be built between ideological divides of any kind, at scale and most impressively without the requirement of a third party.
Within the system voting is unable to produce a rational consensus process, from thumbs up or down to likes or dislikes. While voting is rejected as reliable in the system, consensus theory still reflects the highest “possible” democratic ideal for consensus building; openness, transparency, freedom of discourse and equal access to process while allowing all forms of communication to participate without censorship. *Current status of the project* Demonstrably, the project can currently show two users successfully editing a contract or a “consensus point” from a disagreement into a resolution as the only possible outcome. We assume the algorithm can scale beyond 1 to 1 and all theory will be falsifiable at various levels of scaling to hundreds, to thousands, to hundreds of thousands even to millions of users applying non dualistic consensus building simultaneously around one singular consensus article. This white paper lists the basics of the algorithm while offering a scope of the potential scale of such an algorithm on the internet, as well as details the methodology to online consensus building. A demonstration is available upon request. *About Rome Viharo* Rome Viharo has a 25 year history in media and technology as an entrepreneur, developer, media strategist and consultant and is considered a vertical expert in online media, viral media, social media, digital marketing technology, media buying marketplaces, and ad-tech. In 2005 he was producing “digital content” for Anonymous Content, working alongside Boing Boing developing pioneering new types of digital content.
From 2007 - 2012 he was a leading viral marketing and social media content strategist, pioneering and launching some of the largest viral campaigns in the world, including five SuperBowl campaigns and running media campaigns for brands such as VISA, AUDI, FORD, Google and over a dozen others, and working alongside some of the biggest agencies in the world.
He helped consult and pioneer “influencer” media, developing and advising celebrities and influencers on strategies campaigns.
From 2013 - present, he has been funded to develop technology platforms for content management and distribution, designing financial marketplaces for supply and demand architectures, developing two startups from research, funding, development and piloting.
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