The “global brain” is a metaphor for the intelligent network formed by the people of this planet together with the knowledge and communication technologies that connect them together.
the web increasingly builds on the knowledge and intelligence of all its users and information providers collectively, thanks to technologies such as collaborative filtering, agents, and online markets. It appears as though the net is turning into a nervous system for humanity.
The “Global Brain” is a metaphor for this emerging, collectively intelligent network that is formed by the people of this planet together with the computers, knowledge bases, and communication links that connect them together. This network is an immensely complex, self-organizing system. It not only processes information, but increasingly can be seen to play the role of a brain: making decisions, solving problems, learning new connections, and discovering new ideas. No individual, organization, or computer is in control of this system: its knowledge and intelligence are distributed over all its components. They emerge from the collective interactions between all the human and machine subsystems.
A more “organic” society would increase individual freedom and diversity.
It is only in the last decade that biologists have started to focus on the “major transitions” in evolution, such as the emergence of multicellular organisms out of single cells, or societies out of individuals—studying the specific circumstances in which components can turn from selfish, competing individuals to cooperating members of a collective.