Generating Collaboration and Learning: Generative Spaces and the Governance of Complex Systemic Risks

Abstract The governance of complex systemic risks, such as the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in societally critical systems like healthcare and transport, requires collaborative work that brings together diverse actors, skills, data, perspectives and knowledge across organizational boundaries and silos. This chapter explores how collaborative learning can be generated and supported, using the example of ‘regulatory sandboxes’ that temporarily bring together regulators, innovators, service providers and other stakeholders and can create a generative space within which to collaboratively learn about emerging risks and design appropriate governance strategies. Some key organizational characteristics that underpin spaces that are generative of collaboration and learning are analysed, and the opportunities for creating generative spaces in other arenas of systemic risk governance are explored.