Consensus
What happens to consensus when the inputs can be manufactured?
Consensus on value emerges from shared understandings, practical considerations, and collective decision-making—all requiring a baseline of truth that participants accept. When that baseline erodes, consensus becomes impossible or manipulable.
The Synthetic Consensus Problem
Every mechanism below assumes participants share access to reality. AI-generated content, deepfakes, and algorithmic curation break this assumption:
| Traditional Mechanism | How AI Undermines It |
|---|---|
| Shared beliefs and norms | Populations can be fed incompatible "facts" |
| Social integration | Filter bubbles prevent shared experience |
| Socialization/transmission | Synthetic influencers shape values at scale |
| Emotional resonance | Manufactured content triggers real emotions |
| Cooperative decision-making | Bots simulate consensus that doesn't exist |
The result: consensus that looks real but was manufactured, or real consensus that can't form because no one shares the same information.
- Shared beliefs and norms: Value consensus refers to the extent to which individuals within a social structure share the same values and beliefs about what is important or worthwhile. This shared understanding forms the basis for agreement on value.
- Social integration and cohesion: Value consensus helps maintain social integration by providing a common framework for individuals to understand their roles, responsibilities, and expectations within a society. This shared foundation facilitates agreement on what has value.
- Socialization and cultural transmission: The process of socialization, where individuals learn the values and norms of their society, plays a crucial role in developing consensus on value. As values are passed down through generations and across social groups, it reinforces agreement.
- Functionality and practical benefits: The perceived functionality or practical benefits of something contribute to its perceived value. When there is widespread agreement on the usefulness or effectiveness of something, it's more likely to be valued by consensus.
- Emotional and sensory impact: The emotional associations, both conscious and unconscious, as well as the sensory experience of something (how it looks, feels, sounds, etc.) influence its perceived value. Shared positive experiences can lead to consensus.
- Price and economic factors: The perceived price-value relationship of something affects how it is valued. If there is general agreement that the price is justified by the benefits, it can contribute to consensus on value.
- Cooperative decision-making processes: Consensus decision-making approaches, which involve inclusive participation and addressing all concerns, can lead to shared understanding and agreement on value.
- Social and cultural context: The broader social and cultural context shapes what is considered valuable. Different societies may have different value consensuses based on their unique histories, traditions, and social structures.
- Power dynamics and social institutions: The distribution of power within a society and the influence of social institutions can shape value consensus, though this aspect is sometimes critiqued for potentially maintaining existing power structures.
- Adaptability and evolution: Consensus of value is not static but evolves over time as societies change and new ideas emerge. The ability of a concept of value to adapt to changing circumstances contributes to maintaining consensus.
Rebuilding Consensus Infrastructure
If traditional mechanisms are compromised, what replaces them?
| New Primitive | Function |
|---|---|
| Cryptographic identity | Proves who is speaking |
| Content provenance | Proves origin and chain of custody |
| Skin-in-the-game signals | Economic cost for false claims |
| Transparent recommendation | Accountable curation, not hidden algorithms |
The goal isn't to eliminate disagreement—that's healthy. The goal is to ensure disagreement is real: based on different values or interpretations, not manufactured through synthetic content or hidden manipulation.