In 2019, The Index Project and our partners at JA studio released the report ‘Optimism is Blooming in a World Gone Mad’ identifying some of the world’s most imminent challenges. One of them was the idea of our world going mad, a clear feeling of “what we know to be sane and trustworthy no longer exists,” JA explained it. And when people stop believing the news or are fed incorrect information, they start to rely on uninformed and exaggerated sentiments. Sound familiar?
Logically is trying to improve and legitimise our engagement with online information. Described as a "fake news search engine", they use Natural Language Processing, machine learning and human oversight to rule out biased content and misinformation. Their filtered content is a promise of credible, factual and balanced news. And if you’re suspicious of a claim within any given article, Logically can verify it quickly or make their fact-checkers research it.
Discussion online is equally as enlightening as it is terrifying. Rational conversations can quickly turn sour when debaters get riled up. Kialo, meaning reason in Esperanto, wants to be the online square for civilised debate. It’s for everyone to join in and discuss, but, there are some community-serving rules. You can’t just offer support without constructive points, and it’s not a place for slander, ridicule or having fun at the expense of others. People discuss everything from the idea of a Universal Basic Income to who should be the US Democratic candidate for 2020.
Narrowing the gap between citizens and representatives is a way to nuance the growing anti-government sentiments. Moot is an online platform connecting people and public institutions. Their AI-powered client accepts messages from citizens and helps them further along in the system. They help the user articulate their argument, contextualise it and provide relevant information. The AI then aggregates the message to similar ones, presenting a cohesive and robust case to constituents.
Popula wants to change the way business is done when it comes to online publishing. The site journalist-owned and supported by its readers. It's free of ads and archiving their articles on the blockchain means it protects the quality and honesty of their content. Their latest development has been a crypto-based commenting system for their subscribers.
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