Note from Joost about AI Co-Creation:
This article was created in dialogue with my co-creative AI sparring partner. It started with my personal reflections from the week. The AI helped identify a relevant theme, asked targeted questions to deepen the insights, and then drafted this piece using my input and answers.
While the AI structured and drafted the text based on our interaction, the core ideas, experiences, and insights are mine. I've edited the result carefully to ensure it accurately reflects my voice, perspective, and intent, turning raw reflection into a shareable 'field note'.
My aim remains to foster an environment where we can learn together, and to embrace curiosity about these new ways of working and the insights they can help surface.
The Value of Quadratic Voting Beyond Workshops
Have you ever wanted to vote for something with all your heart, wishing your single "YES" had the power of ten? Or have you ever felt a little defeated because your strong opinion was overlooked by a larger group who didn’t feel as strongly? This is often what happens with the usual way we vote—everyone's vote counts the same, no matter how much they care. But what if there was a different way? Picture Quadratic Voting, a clever twist on choosing, which gives a louder voice to those who are really passionate. It's like turning up the volume on the whispers while keeping the shouts at a manageable level. This way, every feeling, whether it's a strong or a soft one, gets its chance to be heard when we all decide something together.
Challenges Addressed by Quadratic Voting
Quadratic Voting is like a breath of fresh air in the world of decision-making, targeting common concerns such as:
- Majority Dominance: The risk of majority preferences drowning out the minority.
- Neglect of Minority Views: The tendency to overlook less common but perhaps passionately held opinions.
- Lack of Nuance: An either-or approach that doesn't measure how strongly people feel about their choices.
What's Different About Quadratic Voting?
Imagine if you could show just how important certain choices are to you when you vote. That's what Quadratic Voting is all about. Everyone gets the same number of points to vote with, but the more points you put behind an option, the more each additional vote costs. So, if you feel super strongly about something, you can put more of your points there, but you'll use up your points quicker.
For example, your first vote on something might cost you 1 point, but if you want to put a second vote on the same thing, that'll cost you 4 points in total. If you're really passionate and go for a third vote, that'll be 9 points gone. This way, you have to really think about how to spread out your voting power.
For example:
- 1 vote = 1 token
- 2 votes = 4 tokens
- 3 votes = 9 tokens
...and it keeps going up like that.
Why Is This Useful?
This way of voting does a couple of cool things:
- It shows how strongly people feel about the options, not just what they pick.
- It stops the majority from always getting their way if a smaller group feels much more strongly about an alternative.
- It makes people think carefully about their choices, leading to a more balanced way of making decisions.
Where Can Quadratic Voting Be Used?
It's pretty versatile! You can use it in a business when you're deciding on a new strategy, in schools to decide on classes, during community meetings about local projects, and even when governments want to get an idea of what policies people prefer. It encourages everyone to participate and helps make sure that the decisions reflect what the group really thinks and feels.
Setting It Up
It's key that everyone understands how Quadratic Voting works before they get started. Everybody needs to know they have the same number of points to use, that putting more votes behind one option will cost more, and that they can spread their votes out to show a range of interests.
Here's how to get started with Quadratic Voting:
- Clear Explanation: Make sure everyone understands the rules before diving in.
- Diverse Applications: Tailor it to suit different kinds of decisions, big or small.
- Post-Voting Insights: After the voting, analyze the patterns for a deeper understanding of the group's priorities.
What Happens After the Vote?
Looking at how people voted can give you some pretty interesting insights. Which options got a lot of points from just a few people? Which ones had support from a more diverse group? If you know who the voters are, you can see if certain kinds of people prefer certain options. Discussing the results can help you understand why people voted the way they did and help plan better for the future.
Inclusive Decision-Making for a Better Tomorrow
Quadratic Voting is more than just an innovative way to tally up choices. It's a path to a more democratic, fair, and inclusive way of making decisions that matter. It's about taking everyone's input seriously and crafting outcomes that truly reflect the collective will.
Inspiration for writing on Quadratic Voting:
This article took shape after considering some thoughtful ideas by OpenAI, which highlights the role of community voices in shaping AI grants, and Inclusive.AI, which helps bring more people into conversations about AI that might not otherwise be heard.
I looked at what OpenAI shared in their post about learning from their AI grant program and how they plan to improve it. I also considered the creative ways that "Inclusive.AI" is trying to get more people involved in making choices about AI technology. These ideas are important because they show how including different viewpoints helps us make better decisions.
When we talk about making sure everyone's well-being is considered and working together in the best way possible, Quadratic Voting is a key tool to know about. It helps make sure that the decisions made in meetings are fair and take into account how strongly each person feels about the options. This ties in with the idea of looking after everyone's well-being because it makes sure each person has a say, and that say matters in shaping outcomes that are good for everyone.
References:
Joost: This is a topic exploration that I’ve done together with the Creative Sous-chef, a custom openAI GPT that I made. The Creative Sous-chef focuses its questions and responses on human wellbeing within workshops and decision making sessions. You can try it for yourself here*. You do need an openAI Plus plan.
[update: I’ve now also created an AI agent (GPT) that learned from previous articles I’ve written and mimics my writing style. This article is the first example of that. I’ve still invested lots of my time in this article by reprompting, tweaking and composing the entire article. If you’re curious about my perspective on using AI as a writing tool, let me know!]
[update: I’ve now also created an AI agent (GPT) that learned from previous articles I’ve written and mimics my writing style. This article is the first example of that. I’ve still invested lots of my time in this article by reprompting, tweaking and composing the entire article. If you’re curious about my perspective on using AI as a writing tool, let me know!]
Follow-up ideas to explore further
- How quadratic voting would work in a workshop? (in Miro, or real life)
- How does quadratic voting fit into the bigger picture of solving challenges together?