The Participation Game

Abstract: Inspired by Turing's famous "imitation game" and recent advances in generative pre-trained transformers, we pose the participation game to point to a new frontier in AI evolution where machines will join with humans as participants in social construction processes. The participation game is a creative, playful competition that calls for applying, bending, and stretching the categories humans use to make sense of and order their worlds. After defining the game and giving reasons for moving beyond imitation as a test of AI, we highlight parallels between the participation game and processes of social construction, a hallmark of human intelligence. We then discuss implications for fundamental constructs of societies and options for governance.