Relational agency: a new ontology for co-evolving systems

Francis Heylighen

A wide variety of approaches and mechanisms have been proposed to “extend” the neo-Darwinist theory of evolution, including self-organization, symbiogenesis, teleonomy, systems biology and niche construction. These extensions share a focus on agents, networks and processes rather than on independent, static units, such as genes. To develop a new evolutionary synthesis, we therefore need to replace the traditional object-based ontology by one that is here called “relational agency”. The paper sketches the history of both object-based and relational worldviews, going back to their roots in animism and Greek philosophy. It then introduces the basic concepts of the relational agency model: condition-action rules, challenges, agents, reaction networks and chemical organizations. These are illustrated with examples of self-contained ecosystems, genes and cells. The fundamental evolutionary mechanism is that agencies and reactions mutually adapt so as to form a self- maintaining organization, in which everything consumed by one process is produced again by one or more other processes. Such autonomous organization defines a higher-level agency, which will similarly adapt, and thus become embedded in a network of relationships with other agencies.

Read the full article at: researchportal.vub.be

Adaptive Computing, open online course

Prof. Carlos Gershenson
Complex systems are characterized by interactions that may generate novel information. This information can change problems, so previous solutions become obsolete. To face complexity, we need adaptation. In this course, we will cover different methods for building systems that can adapt to unforeseen changes.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00-11:30 AM, Mexico City Time.

First Class: February 1st, 2022.
The class is open and free for all students worldwide. 
Those who deliver successfully coursework and final project will receive a certificate.

Details at: ac.gershenson.mx

Frontiers in Collective Intelligence: A Workshop Report

Tyler Millhouse, Melanie Moses, Melanie Mitchell
In August of 2021, the Santa Fe Institute hosted a workshop on collective intelligence as part of its Foundations of Intelligence project. This project seeks to advance the field of artificial intelligence by promoting interdisciplinary research on the nature of intelligence. The workshop brought together computer scientists, biologists, philosophers, social scientists, and others to share their insights about how intelligence can emerge from interactions among multiple agents–whether those agents be machines, animals, or human beings. In this report, we summarize each of the talks and the subsequent discussions. We also draw out a number of key themes and identify important frontiers for future research.

Read the full article at: arxiv.org