AI Solutions: Two Friends Tackle Global Issues with Dragonfly Thinking

Just a couple of years before they co-founded Dragonfly Thinking, Anthea Roberts and Miranda Forsyth found themselves competing for the same position as associate professors at the Australian National University. Instead of fostering rivalry, this situation sparked a partnership rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and friendship. 
 
The School of Global Governance and Regulation (RegNet) at ANU offered both women the job. "Not only were we given a job; we were also given a best friend," says Forsyth. Through long walks and runs around Canberra, they built their friendship while discovering shared professional goals despite differing areas of expertise. 
 
Forsyth focuses on violence issues and peacebuilding in Pacific Island countries, while Roberts' work is within a global governance and international law context. They discovered common ground around understanding multiple perspectives to navigate complex environments effectively. 
 
They recognized that polarized thinking hindered integrative solutions in an interconnected world, leading them towards "dragonfly thinking." According to Roberts, dragonflies integrate thousands of different lenses into one vision with their eyes, which makes them effective predators. 
 
Roberts had observed through her presentations to governments about complex problem-solving that traditional experts who held only one lens analysis weren't necessarily the most effective problem solvers. The real solutions came from those who saw with 'dragonfly eyes', integrating diverse perspectives into coherent visions of complex problems. 
 
This concept birthed Dragonfly Thinking, an AI-driven company providing tools for decision-makers in policymaking or business realms to analyze situations more comprehensively. The idea was spurred when Sam Bide, a public sector colleague, realized he could apply some frameworks developed by Roberts to existing AI technology. 
 
Dragonfly Thinking's tool involves high-level co-creation between the user and generative AI, producing outputs and solutions based on the Risk, Reward, and Resilience (RRR) framework developed by Roberts, where users can input questions receiving comprehensive RRR analysis along with potential interventions that affect understanding. 
 
Genevieve Bell, Director at the Australian National University's Cybernetics, urged Forsyth and Roberts to transform their technology into a start-up after seeing an early prototype of the RRR tool. Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) connected them with David Ireland, who suggested applying for ON Accelerate, a commercialization acceleration program. 
 
Joining the team were Aishwarya, Senior Project Officer at ANU; Bernard Duggan, software engineer; and Nick Lothian, an AI engineer. The ON Accelerate program not only validated Dragonfly Thinking but also opened up communication channels with potential customers and media outlets. 
 
While participating in this program, Dragonfly Thinking won the inaugural national AI Sprint Awards, outperforming over 250 other companies and securing $300,000 in research and development support. 
 
Forsyth and Roberts are currently bootstrapping, given interest from government bodies and corporate businesses, but anticipate seeking additional funding in the future. They plan to build on the RRR framework, integrating more techniques and tools and expanding the capabilities of Dragonfly Thinking. They look forward to piloting their AI tools with local government businesses later this year. 
 
The duo continues discussing new ideas during walks and jogs around Canberra, further developing their tools and techniques to help decision-makers understand act complexity effectively. 
 
CSIRO is now accepting applications for ON Accelerate 9, which supports female researchers and entrepreneurs translating big ideas into research-driven companies. Applications close August 18; eligibility details can be found here.