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Upgrading the human operating system

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Dragonflies have eyes made up of thousands of lenses. They integrate these lenses to give themselves almost 360-degree vision. Thanks to their agility and ability to predict where their prey is going, dragonflies are able to catch 95% of their prey which makes them one of the world’s most successful predators.

Now imagine if we could apply this capability of seeing the world through multiple lenses to improve accuracy of predictions to aid decision making. Individuals are often inhibited by their expertise in specific disciplines and domains, which can lead to a tendency to over-emphasise on a single lens of analysis. By providing individuals with an ability to integrate many perspectives into a coherent vision, like a dragonfly, clear-sighted decisions informed by greater foresight can be made. 

This is what leading law scholar, Professor Anthea Roberts, and Professor Miranda Forsyth have created with Dragonfly Thinking™.

Professor Miranda Forsyth, Co-Founder and Director, and Professor Anthea Roberts, Founder and CEO, at Dragonfly Thinking™

Building a meta-cognition platform

Dragonfly Thinking’s tools combine Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) with Prof. Roberts’ own frameworks based on years of research and professorship at world-leading universities including Australian National University (ANU) and Harvard.

Distinct from many other generative AI tools, the platform is designed to be a ‘meta-cognition’ platform. Rather than replacing the human in analysis, the platform aids the user to explore and understand a problem and/or opportunity.

The first tool which utilises Professor Roberts’ ‘Risk, Reward, and Resilience' (RRR) Framework provides a model for decision making. Rather than giving the user an answer, it integrates strategic insights – cutting across disciplines, industries and frameworks – to provide Systems, Connections, and Intervention Maps for organisations to make holistic decisions and equip decision-makers with the foresight and adaptability to move beyond risk management and toward resilience leadership.

The second tool utilises the ‘Multi-Lens Analysis’ (MLA) technique to develop multi-perspective analysis with respect to analytical stakeholder assessments or strategic decisions. By understanding issues from the perspectives of different actors, users can increase their strategic awareness and reduce chances of being blindsided in our complex and contested world.

The premise of both approaches is that to understand and navigate complex challenges in a volatile and unpredictable environment they must be viewed through many different lenses to break away from siloed thinking and promote integrative thinking.

The power of superforecasters

The Dragonfly Thinking™ AI platform enables teams of varying sizes and expertise to benefit from the capabilities demonstrated by ‘superforecasters’. A term coined by political scientist and psychologist, Philip Tetlock, superforecasters demonstrate an ability to see through ‘dragonfly eyes’ to develop holistic understandings of complexity by seeking out and integrating multiple perspectives. 

Studies about superforecasters show that integrating insights from multiple perspectives have an increased likelihood of developing a more accurate understanding of complex problems than those relying solely on a single perspective. While research in peace and conflict found that leaders who are able to view conflicts from multiple perspectives have a greater chance of finding peaceful ways to resolve them by identifying potential alliances and brokering effective compromises. This ability to see through ‘Dragonfly eyes’ is what distinguishes the best forecasters in the world. 

The combination of RRR Framework and MLA technique integrated into AI tools are designed to help strategic decision-making in business and policy-making. It aims to address two critical streams: (1) Skilling the industry workforce – to support priority capabilities now and into the future; and (2) Security – to uplift a country’s security and protect its economic connection when addressing a challenging geopolitical landscape.

The tool is built in compliance with Australian Government security and IT requirements. Its development pathway is to able ingestion of proprietary documents in a zero-trust environment to support the supply of sovereign tools. It has been designed to work through tenancy, meaning that there is no shared learning or insights between users of different organisations.

Dragonfly Thinking™ is currently working with the Federal Government to deploy its tools across multiple departments over a 6-month pilot period as part of the APS Capability Reinvestment Fund.

Why we're backing Dragonfly Thinking

At Significant Ventures (SV), we’re committed to investing in innovative technologies that have the potential to globally disrupt industries and society. Our ability to thrive in the world depends on our ability to process information, make decisions, and predict the future. Despite this, many organisations and individuals struggle with complex decision-making. This difficulty is only expected to increase as the world becomes increasingly more complex – where global risks, technological disruption and competing priorities are often at tension or colliding with one another.

The current solution of hiring a superforecaster or building a large team of specialists to harmoniously work together is difficult and costly and subsequently reserved for a few. Dragonfly Thinking democratise this ability with its capability to help any user to improve how they understand problems and make decisions in complex environments.

“We are excited about this partnership because Dragonfly Thinking’s technology addresses one of the greatest challenges in today's world—complex, interconnected problems,” said Dr David Ireland, Venture Partner of SV. “Their AI-driven tools help people break down these complexities, offering 360-degree insights and fostering more resilient and informed decision-making processes.” 

The team at Dragonfly Thinking™ are continuing to build capabilities into its RRR and MLA tools.

“Our mission is to upgrade the human operating system by co-creating with AI,” said Anthea Roberts, CEO and the founder of Dragonfly Thinking™. “We envision a future where AI is not just a tool but a collaborative partner that helps decision-makers think with more clarity, foresight, and confidence.” 

If you’re interested in investing in science-backed technology companies like Dragonfly Thinking that are emerging from Australia’s universities, or if you’re an organisation wanting to understand more about Dragonfly Thinking™ capabilities, please get in touch.