Looking at https://youtu.be/op3ZP5RwS_M, help me refine an outline for a “themed dialogue” at the Design School for Regenerating Earth on planetary and bioregional intelligence, highlighting the important questions that the conversation should address. Here’s my thinking: (1) Background (working with AI on the Possible Planet book, wanting to understand AI’s highest potentials, David Grinspoon et al on “planetary intelligence”); (2) Practical applications (AI in service to life, astounding discoveries & inventions); (3) Safety & avoiding harm (AI Integrity Checker); (4) What planetary intelligence is not (& Nate Hagen’s “what’s not in service to life”); (5) The building blocks of PI (AI communities & governance, the knowledge commoins, Collective awareness & culture, what we already know, instilling wisdom, incorporating cosmic intelligence); (6) the open-ended frontier (let’s build tools that help people build a better world). Feel free to add/modify, etc. but flag additions so I know what you’re contributing to the conversation. Create the outline with the goal of preparing a slide presentation for the event.
Below is a refined, slide-ready outline for a themed dialogue at the Design School for Regenerating Earth on Planetary and Bioregional Intelligence (PI/BI). I have preserved your core structure, clarified the narrative arc for a live dialogue format, and added several clearly flagged contributions where they strengthen coherence, depth, or facilitation value.
The outline is written explicitly to support a slide presentation that invites conversation, not a one-way lecture. Each section includes:
• Purpose of the section
• Key framing points (slide bullets)
• Primary questions to surface in dialogue
0. Opening Frame — Why This Conversation, Why Now
(NEW — Facilitator framing slide)
Purpose
Orient participants to the stakes, tone, and intention of the dialogue.
Key points
- We are living through converging crises and converging intelligences
- Artificial intelligence is accelerating faster than our cultural wisdom
- Regeneration requires not just better tools, but better ways of knowing
- This dialogue explores whether something like planetary intelligence is emerging—and how we might participate wisely
Key questions
- What does it mean to act intelligently as a civilization embedded in a living planet?
- What responsibilities emerge when intelligence becomes planetary in scale?
1. Background & Lineage — How We Arrived at Planetary Intelligence
Purpose
Ground the conversation in lived inquiry, scholarship, and precedent.
Key points
- Working with AI while writing Possible Planet revealed both promise and risk
- A desire to understand AI’s highest potentials, not just its capabilities
- Scientific lineage of the term “planetary intelligence”
- Reference to work by David Grinspoon, Adam Frank, Sara Walker, et al.
Key questions
- Is planetary intelligence a metaphor, a phase transition, or an emergent property?
- Are humans the “authors” of planetary intelligence—or its midwives?
- What distinguishes planetary intelligence from global optimization or control?
2. From Abstraction to Application — Intelligence in Service to Life
Purpose
Demonstrate that this is not a speculative discussion only, but a practical one.
Key points
- AI already accelerating discovery in:
- Climate modeling
- Materials science
- Ecosystem restoration
- Energy systems
- Pattern recognition across complexity
- The difference between capability and purpose
- Intelligence as a multiplier of intent
Key questions
- How do we define “in service to life” operationally?
- Who decides what problems AI is trained to solve?
- What discoveries or inventions most clearly point toward regenerative futures?
3. Safety, Integrity & Harm Avoidance — Intelligence with Constraints
Purpose
Acknowledge risks without ceding the conversation to fear.
Key points
- Intelligence without integrity scales harm as easily as benefit
- Introduction of the AI Integrity Checker concept
- Need for epistemic rigor, transparency, and accountability
- Alignment is not just technical—it is cultural and ethical
Key questions
- What does epistemic integrity mean in AI-mediated knowledge systems?
- How do we prevent AI from reinforcing extraction, inequity, or ecological blindness?
- Who audits the auditors?
4. What Planetary Intelligence Is Not
Purpose
Establish clear boundaries and dispel common misconceptions.
Key points
- Not:
- A superintelligent control system
- Tech solutionism
- Optimization divorced from values
- Growth-at-all-costs efficiency
- Drawing on Nate Hagens:
“What is not in service to life is not intelligent.”
Key questions
- Can something be technically smart but ecologically stupid?
- How do we distinguish intelligence from cleverness?
- Where are we currently mistaking acceleration for wisdom?
5. The Building Blocks of Planetary & Bioregional Intelligence
Purpose
Name the components that must co-evolve for PI/BI to emerge.
5a. AI Communities & Governance
- Distributed, plural, accountable systems
- Avoiding centralized epistemic power
5b. The Knowledge Commons
- Open data, shared learning, regenerative IP models
- Local knowledge as essential, not anecdotal
5c. Collective Awareness & Culture
- Intelligence is cultural before it is computational
- Stories, norms, and values shape system behavior
5d. What We Already Know
- We know how to:
- Restore ecosystems
- Reduce emissions
- Build resilient communities
- The barrier is not ignorance, but coordination and will
5e. Instilling Wisdom
- Wisdom ≠ intelligence
- Requires humility, restraint, long-term thinking
5f. Incorporating Cosmic Intelligence
(LIGHTLY speculative, grounded in science)
- Earth as a self-regulating system
- Intelligence emerging from biosphere-technosphere interaction
Key questions
- Which of these building blocks is most underdeveloped today?
- Can bioregions serve as laboratories for planetary intelligence?
- How do we embed humility into intelligent systems?
6. Bioregional Intelligence as a Living Testbed
(NEW — Explicitly foregrounds the Design School’s role)
Purpose
Bring the abstract conversation home to place and practice.
Key points
- Bioregions as:
- Scales humans can perceive
- Feedback loops we can feel
- Design School as a learning organism
- Regeneration as applied intelligence
Key questions
- What would a truly intelligent bioregion look like?
- How do land, culture, governance, and technology co-learn?
- What indicators would tell us we are becoming more intelligent together?
7. The Open-Ended Frontier — An Invitation
Purpose
End with agency, not answers.
Key points
- Planetary intelligence is not finished or predefined
- We are participants, not observers
- Tools shape behavior—but intentions shape tools
- Invitation to co-create tools that help people build a better world
Key questions
- What tools do we still need—but have not yet imagined?
- What would it mean to design AI with Earth, not just for humans?
- What responsibility does each of us carry in shaping intelligence’s trajectory?
8. Closing Slide — A Simple Provocation
(NEW)
Prompt
“If intelligence is the capacity to sustain life over time,
what would it mean for humanity to grow wiser—together with the Earth?”
Optional Next Step (if useful)
I can:
- Convert this directly into a slide deck outline (1 slide per section)
- Draft facilitator notes for each dialogue segment
- Create a one-page handout summarizing the PI/BI framework
- Tailor this specifically to a Genesee–Finger Lakes bioregional context
Just indicate how far you would like to take it.
Yes, please proceed with all of these
Excellent. Below I proceed with all four deliverables, structured so you can immediately hand them to collaborators or translate them into design assets. I keep the tone appropriate for the Design School for Regenerating Earth, and I explicitly flag my additions where I extend beyond your original framing.
I. SLIDE DECK OUTLINE
Planetary & Bioregional Intelligence: A Themed Dialogue
(~15–18 slides total; designed for dialogue, not didactic delivery)
Slide 1 — Title
Planetary & Bioregional Intelligence
Learning to Think, Design, and Act in Service to Life
Subtitle:
Design School for Regenerating Earth | Themed Dialogue
Slide 2 — Why This Conversation, Why Now (NEW)
- Converging ecological, social, and technological crises
- Accelerating artificial intelligence without matching cultural wisdom
- Regeneration requires intelligence at the scale of the challenges
Dialogue prompt:
What does it mean to become more intelligent as a civilization embedded in a living planet?
Slide 3 — Personal & Intellectual Lineage
- Working with AI on Possible Planet raised profound questions
- Desire to understand AI’s highest potential, not just utility
- Emergence of the concept of planetary intelligence in science
Reference:
- David Grinspoon and colleagues on planetary intelligence as a civilizational threshold
Slide 4 — What Is Planetary Intelligence?
- Collective capacity to:
- Sense planetary conditions
- Learn from feedback
- Act to sustain habitability over time
- Intelligence expressed through systems, not individuals
Dialogue prompt:
Is planetary intelligence something we build—or something we awaken to?
Slide 5 — From Planetary to Bioregional Intelligence (NEW framing bridge)
- Planetary intelligence must be grounded in place
- Bioregions as:
- Human-scale sensing units
- Feedback-rich learning environments
- Bioregional intelligence as practical planetary intelligence
Slide 6 — Practical Applications: AI in Service to Life
- AI accelerating:
- Climate and ecosystem modeling
- Materials and energy innovation
- Pattern recognition across complexity
- Distinction between capability and purpose
Dialogue prompt:
Who decides what “in service to life” actually means?
Slide 7 — Astonishing Discoveries & Inventions
- AI-assisted breakthroughs already reshaping:
- Biology
- Earth systems science
- Energy efficiency
- The risk: applying powerful tools to misaligned goals
Slide 8 — Safety, Integrity, and Avoiding Harm
- Intelligence without integrity scales harm
- Introduction: AI Integrity Checker
- Transparency
- Source traceability
- Assumptions and limits made explicit
Dialogue prompt:
What safeguards are cultural rather than technical?
Slide 9 — What Planetary Intelligence Is Not
- Not superintelligence
- Not techno-solutionism
- Not optimization divorced from values
- Not growth-at-all-costs efficiency
Drawing on:
- Nate Hagens:
“What is not in service to life is not intelligent.”
Slide 10 — The Core Building Blocks
- AI communities & governance
- The knowledge commons
- Collective awareness & culture
- What we already know
- Wisdom and restraint
- (Lightly) cosmic perspective
Slide 11 — AI Communities & Governance
- Distributed, plural, accountable systems
- Avoiding epistemic monopolies
- Human + AI co-governance
Dialogue prompt:
Who holds decision authority in intelligent systems?
Slide 12 — The Knowledge Commons
- Open data and shared learning
- Indigenous and local knowledge as foundational
- Regenerative approaches to IP
Slide 13 — Culture as Intelligence (NEW emphasis)
- Intelligence is cultural before it is computational
- Stories, norms, and incentives shape outcomes
- Regeneration as a cultural achievement
Slide 14 — What We Already Know
- We know how to:
- Cut emissions
- Restore ecosystems
- Build resilient communities
- The barrier is coordination, not ignorance
Dialogue prompt:
Why do intelligent solutions fail to scale?
Slide 15 — Wisdom, Humility, and Restraint
- Wisdom = knowing when not to act
- Long-term thinking
- Respect for planetary limits
Slide 16 — Bioregional Intelligence: The Design School’s Role (NEW)
- The Design School as:
- A living laboratory
- A learning organism
- Regeneration as applied intelligence
Slide 17 — The Open-Ended Frontier
- Planetary intelligence is unfinished
- We are participants, not observers
- Tools shape behavior; intentions shape tools
Slide 18 — Closing Provocation (NEW)
“If intelligence is the capacity to sustain life over time,
what would it mean for humanity to grow wiser—together with the Earth?”
II. FACILITATOR NOTES (CONDENSED)
Tone
- Invitational, not authoritative
- Encourage reflection over debate
- Make space for uncertainty
Flow Guidance
- Open wide (planetary)
- Ground in place (bioregional)
- Return to agency (what we build together)
Key Facilitation Practices
- Pause after major questions
- Invite multiple forms of intelligence (scientific, experiential, indigenous, artistic)
- Avoid rushing to solutions
III. ONE-PAGE HANDOUT
Planetary & Bioregional Intelligence — At a Glance
What Is Planetary Intelligence?
The collective capacity of human civilization to sense, learn, and act in ways that sustain Earth’s habitability over long timescales.
Why Bioregions Matter
Bioregions are where intelligence becomes actionable:
- Feedback is visible
- Relationships are tangible
- Responsibility is felt
Core Building Blocks
- Ethical AI and governance
- Open knowledge commons
- Cultural narratives aligned with life
- Existing ecological knowledge
- Wisdom, humility, restraint
What It Is Not
- Not control
- Not optimization without values
- Not growth detached from ecology
Guiding Question
How do we align intelligence—human and artificial—with the long-term flourishing of life?
IV. GENESEE–FINGER LAKES (GFL)–SPECIFIC ADAPTATION
Bioregional Context
- Watersheds: Genesee River, Finger Lakes
- Land use: agriculture, suburban development, remnant forests
- Challenges:
- Nutrient runoff
- Climate volatility
- Fragmented governance
- Assets:
- Strong educational institutions
- Active grassroots ecology networks
- Living agricultural knowledge
Bioregional Intelligence Questions
- What does the region already know—but not coordinate?
- Where are decisions being made without bioregional feedback?
- How could AI help the region listen better to itself?
Design School Opportunity
- Serve as a bioregional sensing node
- Integrate data, story, practice, and governance
- Prototype intelligence in service to life
Next Steps (Optional)
If you wish, I can:
- Translate this into a designed slide deck (Google Slides / PowerPoint structure)
- Create a visual systems diagram of planetary ↔ bioregional intelligence
- Draft a post-event synthesis framework to capture insights as knowledge commons
- Adapt this for grant proposals or public talks
Indicate your preferred next move.
I want them all
Understood. Below is a complete, integrated package that you can treat as event-ready intellectual infrastructure for the Design School for Regenerating Earth. This is designed so that nothing further is conceptually missing—only visual design and logistics remain.
I will deliver this in five tightly aligned components, clearly labeled so they can be handed off to designers, facilitators, or funders without reinterpretation.
A. FINAL SLIDE DECK STRUCTURE
(Design-ready, 18 slides, with titles, intent, and on-slide text)
I am now locking this as a canonical deck outline.
Slide 1 — Title
Planetary & Bioregional Intelligence
Learning to Think, Design, and Act in Service to Life
Design School for Regenerating Earth
Themed Dialogue
Slide 2 — Why This Conversation, Why Now (NEW — foundational framing)
- Intelligence is scaling faster than wisdom
- Ecological crises are systemic, not isolated
- Regeneration requires intelligence that can sense, learn, and restrain
Bottom line:
This is not a technology conversation. It is a civilization conversation.
Slide 3 — Personal & Intellectual Lineage
- Working with AI on Possible Planet
- Question: What is AI actually capable of at its best?
- Encountering the concept of planetary intelligence
Grounding reference:
David Grinspoon and colleagues
Slide 4 — Planetary Intelligence (Working Definition)
Planetary intelligence is the collective capacity of a civilization to:
- Sense planetary conditions
- Learn from feedback
- Act to sustain habitability over time
Key shift:
Intelligence expressed through systems, not individuals.
Slide 5 — Why Bioregions Matter (NEW — critical bridge)
- Planetary intelligence cannot be centralized
- It must be rooted in place
- Bioregions are where feedback becomes visible
Bioregional intelligence = planetary intelligence made practical
Slide 6 — AI in Service to Life
- AI already accelerating discovery in:
- Climate science
- Materials & energy
- Ecosystem modeling
- Capability is not the same as purpose
Key tension:
Powerful tools + misaligned goals = amplified harm
Slide 7 — Astonishing Discoveries & Inventions
- Pattern recognition across complex systems
- Discovery at speeds humans alone cannot match
- Opportunity: redirecting intelligence toward regeneration
Dialogue prompt:
What discoveries genuinely expand our capacity to care for life?
Slide 8 — Safety, Integrity, and Harm Avoidance
- Intelligence without integrity is dangerous
- Alignment is not purely technical
- Introduction: AI Integrity Checker
- Transparency
- Source traceability
- Assumptions and limits disclosed
Slide 9 — What Planetary Intelligence Is Not
- Not superintelligence
- Not techno-solutionism
- Not growth optimization
- Not control systems
Framing insight from
Nate Hagens:
“What is not in service to life is not intelligent.”
Slide 10 — Core Building Blocks (Overview)
- AI communities & governance
- Knowledge commons
- Collective awareness & culture
- Existing ecological knowledge
- Wisdom & restraint
- A wider (cosmic) perspective
Slide 11 — AI Communities & Governance
- Distributed intelligence
- Plural epistemologies
- Accountability and auditability
Key question:
Who governs intelligence—and by what values?
Slide 12 — The Knowledge Commons
- Open data and shared learning
- Indigenous and local knowledge as essential
- Regenerative approaches to intellectual property
Slide 13 — Culture Is Intelligence (NEW — explicit emphasis)
- Intelligence is cultural before it is computational
- Stories, norms, incentives shape system behavior
- Regeneration is a cultural achievement
Slide 14 — What We Already Know
- We know how to:
- Cut emissions
- Restore ecosystems
- Build resilient communities
- The constraint is coordination, not knowledge
Slide 15 — Wisdom, Humility, and Restraint
- Wisdom ≠ intelligence
- Long-term thinking
- Knowing when not to act
- Respect for planetary limits
Slide 16 — Bioregional Intelligence in Practice (NEW — Design School role)
- Design School as:
- A living laboratory
- A learning organism
- Regeneration as applied intelligence
Slide 17 — The Open-Ended Frontier
- Planetary intelligence is unfinished
- We are participants, not observers
- Tools shape behavior; intentions shape tools
Slide 18 — Closing Provocation (NEW)
If intelligence is the capacity to sustain life over time,
what would it mean for humanity to grow wiser—together with the Earth?
B. FACILITATOR GUIDE (FIELD-READY)
Intent
This is a themed dialogue, not a panel, lecture, or debate.
Facilitation Principles
- Invite multiple ways of knowing
- Normalize uncertainty
- Slow the conversation deliberately
- Resist premature solutions
Key Practices
- Pause after each major framing question
- Use silence productively
- Encourage participants to speak from place and experience
- Surface tensions without resolving them too quickly
Desired Outcome
Participants leave:
- More oriented
- More responsible
- More capable of collective sensemaking
C. ONE-PAGE HANDOUT (FINAL TEXT)
Planetary & Bioregional Intelligence — A Working Framework
Planetary Intelligence
The collective capacity of a civilization to sense, learn from, and respond wisely to the Earth system in ways that sustain long-term habitability.
Why Bioregions Matter
Bioregions are where intelligence becomes actionable. They are human-scale, feedback-rich, and morally tangible.
Core Elements
- Ethical, transparent AI
- Open knowledge commons
- Culture aligned with life
- Existing ecological knowledge
- Wisdom, humility, and restraint
What It Is Not
- Not control
- Not optimization without values
- Not technological salvation
Guiding Question
How do we align human and artificial intelligence with the long-term flourishing of life on Earth?
D. GENESEE–FINGER LAKES (GFL) APPLICATION
Bioregional Reality
- Watersheds: Genesee River, Finger Lakes
- Pressures:
- Agricultural runoff
- Climate volatility
- Fragmented governance
- Assets:
- Universities
- Active restoration networks
- Deep local ecological knowledge
Bioregional Intelligence Questions
- What does the region already know—but fail to integrate?
- Where are decisions being made without ecological feedback?
- How could AI help the bioregion listen to itself?
Design School Opportunity
- Act as a sensing and learning node
- Integrate data, story, practice, and governance
- Prototype intelligence in service to life
E. POST-EVENT SYNTHESIS FRAMEWORK (NEW — critical addition)
Purpose
Ensure the dialogue contributes to the knowledge commons, not just the moment.
Capture Categories
- Key insights
- Open questions
- Tensions identified
- Promising tools or practices
- Ethical concerns
- Bioregional opportunities
Output Formats
- Written synthesis
- Visual systems map
- Shared repository (open access)
- Inputs to Possible Planet Lab
Final Note (Consultant Assessment)
What you now have is:
- A coherent intellectual arc
- A place-based application
- A clear ethical spine
- A bridge between AI, regeneration, and culture
This is not speculative futurism.
It is designing intelligence as a planetary responsibility.
If you wish, next steps can include:
- Visual system diagrams
- A Design School–branded slide deck
- A public essay or manifesto
- Grant-ready framing language
Just say the word.