What does collective learning mean

What does collective learning mean refers to a distributed machine learning paradigm where multiple autonomous agents, systems, or entities collaborate to acquire knowledge and improve performance through coordinated learning processes while maintaining individual operational capabilities and data privacy. This approach enables knowledge sharing and skill acquisition across networked systems without centralizing raw data, preserving privacy and security. Collective learning encompasses federated learning where edge devices train models locally while sharing only parameter updates, multi-agent reinforcement learning where agents learn from each other’s experiences, and swarm intelligence where simple agents collectively solve complex problems. Key mechanisms include consensus algorithms for model synchronization, knowledge distillation between agents, and emergent behavior arising from distributed interactions. For AI agents, collective learning enables collaborative skill acquisition, distributed problem-solving, and adaptive coordination.