Abstract This case study offers a holistic approach to designing innovative AI solutions by operationalizing collective intelligence to drive meaningful impact in complex systems. It's three pillars – a systemic framework, ethnographic research, and participatory design – are illustrated by the case of River Deep Mountain AI, an innovation project designed to enhance the health of rivers and coastal waters by leveraging AI and collaboration. We explore the complexity of river and coastal health and show that, as direct result of this work, the project was able to navigate complexity, mitigate risk, and unlock new pathways for systemic transformation.
Tarp et al. (Sat,) studied this question.