Complex Chaos, a startup co-founded by Tommy Lorsch and Maya Ben Dror, is developing an artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to streamline group consensus and cooperation processes. The technology recently underwent a trial with delegates preparing for climate negotiations, where participants reported substantial reductions in coordination time.
The tool integrates Google’s Habermas Machine, a large language model (LLM) engineered to generate group consensus statements representing both majority and minority viewpoints, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This combination enables the system to generate relevant questions, establish objectives for discussions, and summarize extensive documents, according to Complex Chaos.
Facilitating cooperation, particularly across different time zones or physical locations, presents challenges to scalability in traditional formats, according to Lorsch. He cited that conventionally, trained facilitators guide groups towards consensus, a process that can face slowdowns due to dispersed participants. The AI-driven approach aims to mitigate these logistical obstacles.
During a trial conducted at a United Nations campus in Bonn, Germany, young delegates from nine African nations utilized the tool in preparation for climate-related negotiations. Complex Chaos reported that participants experienced up to a 60% reduction in the time required for coordination. Furthermore, 91% of participants indicated that the AI tool assisted them in recognizing perspectives they might have otherwise overlooked. Maya Ben Dror stated that a primary goal of the tool is to enable negotiating blocs to achieve internal consensus before engaging in broader international discussions.
Beyond its application in international climate negotiations, Complex Chaos is pitching its cooperation tool to corporate entities, including technology firms and large consultancies. Tommy Lorsch, co-founder and CEO of Complex Chaos, noted that the annual strategic planning process in many companies can span approximately three months, involving multi-layered negotiations across diverse teams and time zones. The company positions its AI as a means to shorten such time-intensive industrial and organizational decision-making cycles.
Lorsch emphasized the distinction between software built for general collaboration and tools specifically engineered for cooperation, stating that AI could serve as a facilitator to help groups understand each other and identify common ground. Ben Dror added that by shortening and simplifying complex processes, AI could yield significant benefits for global challenges, including those related to sustainability and other large-scale industrial initiatives.
