8) Integration and Interface

Part 8 of the 12-part series - 'A Grand Machine to Beat Covid-19' - looks at the user-interface and how the different elements of the Machine integrate together to form a coherent system.

The different elements of the MMM, outlined so far, integrate together into one coherent system – an interface with the whole world behind it.

Pandemic-Control Challenge Programme

To explore the multi-faceted capabilities of the Machine, let’s investigate how it could facilitate improved pandemic test-and-trace systems. The hypothetical ‘Pandemic-Control Challenge Programme’ focuses in this area and starts by comprehensively evaluating strategies deployed to counter the first waves of C-19.

This kind of assessment lends itself to cross-country comparison reports – identifying key differences between successful and unsuccessful test-and-trace systems and detailing best-practice approaches. The broad, holistic analysis is also informed by distinct MMM Challenges evaluating related technologies, such as contact-tracing apps and diagnostic testing-devices.

The ‘Pandemic-Control Innovation Challenge’ invites the crowd to design the ‘Pandemic-Control Social Action Challenge’ (i.e. create test-and-trace project plan templates, to run through the Action Network platform). In developing their submissions, innovators have access to all the information, data and refined knowledge of the MMM. Some may try to replicate existing gold-standard approaches (such as South Korea’s seems to be) within an Action Network format. The subjective assessment of these plans will highlight a number of proposed strategies that appear to hold good potential, with all credible templates saved on the open database.

Governments or public health bodies can then pick solutions ‘off-the-shelf’ and prepare to deploy them during the next surge of C-19. As it strikes, these strategies swing into action, attempting to quash the outbreak with coordinated activity on multiple fronts. Let’s zoom in, to observe a possible Pandemic-Control Social Action Challenge in operation…

When an individual’s test-results confirm a C-19 infection, they immediately receive a message with guidance regarding self-isolation, how to take care of themselves, and what to do if symptoms become severe. They’re tactfully asked if they mind helping out by keeping a health-monitoring diary and are encouraged to donate as much useful data as possible to the MMM. These requests are formulated in terms of suggested tasks.

Crucially, they’re tasked with supplying the contact details of everyone they’ve been in close proximity to recently. If they don’t do this promptly or properly, then a task is generated in the to-do list of the contact-tracing team, asking them to get in touch and obtain the information by phone. (The contact-tracers could be directly-employed by the state, outsourced, or carefully crowdsourced – in MMM terms they’re a Collaboration working within the encompassing Co-operative Challenge.) Mobile-based contact-tracing apps are also triggered, especially seeking to detect at-risk persons who aren’t known to the original individual. The different lists are automatically cross-checked before warnings are sent out.

If they aren’t already registered, individuals who receive these warning texts are asked to sign up to the Machine. If they choose not to, then they get information by text and the contact-tracing team is tasked with calling them. Those who are on the MMM network receive guidance through this medium, including the suggestion that they get tested asap. The ‘Arrange Test’ task takes them straight to a test-booking system where they can choose locations and time-slots… or even better, asks them where to send the home testing kits. And, of course, if they test positive, then the process repeats.

All the data is absorbed by the Machine. Where informed consent has been given (and contact-tracing technologies integrated), this can include mobile-gathered location data – anonymised and deployed to assist pandemic-control response. This can help in targeting mass testing towards at-risk areas, or directing extra cleaning services to certain parts of a city – the appropriate tasks generated in specific individual or team to-do lists. The system could also orchestrate locally-differentiated social distancing policies. Ultimately, the MMM facilitates a full-scale, multi-dimensional response to C-19.

The implementation of the Pandemic-Control Social Action Challenges represents the start of the live-testing phase of the Pandemic-Control Innovation Challenge (because the plans were developed as part of this Innovation Challenge). All systems are continuously assessed – hoping to find out what works and what doesn’t… and why. The digitally-structured nature of the Action Network should allow for highly detailed analysis of what’s going on, enabling the next round of Innovation Challengers to systematically learn, evolve and improve the systems.

All the data flowing into the Machine can be used by researchers to advance their ideas and innovations. The Social Action information should help to inform the Knowledge Refinery’s infection forecasts, whilst these predictive models feedback in turn, to assist the Action Challengers plan emergency responses on the ground. All parts of the Machine designed to work together synergistically.

MMM Interface

Another way to get an illuminating perspective on the integrated Machine is to consider the user interface. It’s very important that this is beautiful, intuitive and enjoyable to use. The home screen looks like the control panel used by the leadership of a high-tech emergency response operation, coordinating the fightback against C19 (it is).

Dashboard information includes: The ‘War Map’ (geographically charting the pandemic and response); news, innovation and technology updates; calls for assistance and volunteers; the innovation pipeline overview; etc. If logged in to an individual account, then the dashboard is personalised according to selected settings and activity-history.

The slick, organised and instinctual interface enables users to zoom in and explore the vast, well-structured website as they please. Perhaps they want to look at the current spread of C-19 within their local area, update their personal health data, or tune into the clinical Mega-Trial livestream and check out the latest test-metrics of top-performing treatments. Or the user can explore the Innovation Challenge Programmes, zeroing in on areas of interest where they may want to: submit an idea; evaluate solution-proposals; or generally get involved in the surrounding discussion.

Maybe join some kind of open-source project, play one of those addictive design games, or donate a few minutes towards basic data-analysis tasks? Perhaps they want to check on the progress of the Social Action Challenges they’re involved in and get an overview of which self-assigned tasks are now ready to be completed? Could possibly volunteer to help with a neighbours collect-and-deliver-request?

Everyone uses the same dashboard: scientists, policy-makers, medical planners, bureaucrats, philanthropists, pharmaceutical company managers, academics, entrepreneurs, health workers, helpful neighbours, innovators… The Citizens of the World, working on everything at once, leading the charge from millions of Command Centre HQs, all over the planet. Collectively operating the MMM… powering and driving the juggernaut as it exponentially gathers momentum.

Integration

The Knowledge Refinery, Innovation Factory, Action Network and Cog Circle systems integrate together as the Machine. Taking different perspectives, each of these core components can be viewed as the MMM’s central foundation:

· The Knowledge Refinery’s vast mass of information and data underpins all the Machine’s activities. These activities, in turn, feed numerous facts and stats back into the system

· The Innovation Factory builds itself and then manufactures the rest of the MMM. It’s designed to deliver the key long-term solutions to the problems caused by C-19

· The Action Network provides the online platform within which all the other components of the Machine are situated

· The Cog Circles provide governance, guidance and oversight for all the activities of the MMM

In order to tackle the Grand Challenge of Covid-19, the MMM breaks it down into an intricate web of Programmes, Challenges, Sub-Challenges, Collaborations, Tasks and Sub-Tasks. Large Co-operative Challenge Programmes collate, collect, format, process, filter and organise information, as it’s integrated into the Machine. A comprehensive curriculum of Competitive Challenge Programmes facilitates and guides the refinement of C-19 foundational knowledge and science… as well as the development of key innovations and technological solutions.

The vast catalogue of MMM trials and tests build together into one continuous Grand Experiment. And Social Action Challenges efficiently coordinate community and healthcare emergency management systems, helping to improve response capabilities on the ground.

Key Features of the Machine

We’ve explored the core elements of the Machine, but in order to maintain focus, other potential features have been left out. For example:

· Crowdfunding systems to enable small-scale Collaborations to seek finance for grassroots projects

· Accelerator/ incubator-style investment-facilitation and business support for startups and entrepreneurs

· Outsourcing and gig-economy systems (in cases where this approach is more appropriate than crowdsourcing)

· Crowd-Wisdom approaches – using the crowd to make various kinds of assessments, predictions or judgements

· Crowd-Production using 3D-printers – enabling rapid decentralised manufacture of certain new innovations

All of these aspects should also be built into the MMM… along with many more. Ultimately, the Machine is a huge information and technology platform that expands by integrating data and innovations into itself. Continuously testing, iteratively improving and relentlessly assimilating a broad arsenal of technologies into the overall system. Everything is an experiment… and all these experiments build together into one ongoing Grand Experiment. The MMM is an experiment itself, constantly updating, evolving and progressing.

One key feature of the integrated Machine, is that it enables efficient co-working between:

· The Crowd

· Professional Staff Teams

· AI Systems

Each of these approaches has different strengths and weaknesses, capabilities and limitations… which tend to complement one another. Physical and virtual inputs have their respective advantages and disadvantages, and the reliability of professional staff teams, links well with the flexibility of the crowd. Artificial intelligence is faster at simple tasks, but human intelligence can deal with complexity.

One aspect of the Machine, that hasn’t been emphasised so far, is the deep interaction between AI systems and the crowd. There should be a standing Challenge to develop software that can replace crowd activity in all non-physical areas (even the very complex). And the MMM should make the perfect place for AI to learn – watching the cogs working through project plans and accomplishing tasks, with the evolving algorithms attempting to integrate and improve human-made forecasting models, searching for patterns in massive sets of linked data. The digital observers able to see almost every step, of every process, repeated again and again.

Summary

Everything is broken down through multiple layers. Each task and action a part of the Grand Plan. The enormous Challenge appearing more manageable when sliced up into smaller pieces – the Machine dividing cognitive labour tasks up like an Information Age factory. On one hand, it’s the ultimate centralising system – bringing everything together in one place. On the other, it’s a deeply decentralising system – dispersing initiative, responsibility and leadership across the global population.

A yin-yang of centralisation and decentralisation – a balanced, practical, new approach to human organisation. A holistic system – fit to face the crisis at hand… as well as the oncoming crises of the future.

Read the next blog in the series - Part 9 - Revolutionary Implications