Introducing "The Commons Problem" - an AI Governance Megagame

LessWrong Event Link (LW RSVPs appreciated but please also register on the main website) EXEC EXEC SUMMARY: Come to Toronto on October 17th and playtest my AI themed wargame. You can LARP as an AI company or a military commander. It’ll be about 5 or 6 hours with breaks. Coffee and lunch included. thecommonsproblem.com Executive Summary I am developing an AI Governance Megagame called The Commons Problem , inspired by AI wargames like D. Scott Phoenix’s “The Endgame” and Shahar Avin’s “Intelligence Rising”. In The Commons Problem , 30-60 players gather in a physical space and break into teams representing key entities in the global AI space. Over a few hours of play, the players and the Game Masters simulate the future of AI governance. Some play sessions might see a cyber security meltdown, while others might feature a novel AI-designed supervirus or a Third World War. The purpose of the game is to learn about and observe the emergent properties of the complex, incentive-driven AI landscape of today. When faced with crisis, will the world come together to stop catastrophe? Or will each faction’s incentives pull them into self-interested behaviour, leading to a tragedy of the commons? Tickets are on sale now for Playtest 1 on October 17th in Toronto . It’s going to be a lot of chaos, a lot of fun, or both. Go to thecommonsproblem.com to register. More playtests will be taking place in California and Ontario throughout Q4 2026/Q1 2027. I am generously supported by BlueDot Impa…