2 research outputs found

    Agent programming in the cognitive era

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    It is claimed that, in the nascent ā€˜Cognitive Eraā€™, intelligent systems will be trained using machine learning techniques rather than programmed by software developers. A contrary point of view argues that machine learning has limitations, and, taken in isolation, cannot form the basis of autonomous systems capable of intelligent behaviour in complex environments. In this paper, we explore the contributions that agent-oriented programming can make to the development of future intelligent systems. We briefly review the state of the art in agent programming, focussing particularly on BDI-based agent programming languages, and discuss previous work on integrating AI techniques (including machine learning) in agent-oriented programming. We argue that the unique strengths of BDI agent languages provide an ideal framework for integrating the wide range of AI capabilities necessary for progress towards the next-generation of intelligent systems. We identify a range of possible approaches to integrating AI into a BDI agent architecture. Some of these approaches, e.g., ā€˜AI as a serviceā€™, exploit immediate synergies between rapidly maturing AI techniques and agent programming, while others, e.g., ā€˜AI embedded into agentsā€™ raise more fundamental research questions, and we sketch a programme of research directed towards identifying the most appropriate ways of integrating AI capabilities into agent programs

    Assurance of agent systems: What role should formal verification play?

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    In this paper we consider the broader issue of gaining assurance that an agent system will behave appropriately when it is deployed. We ask to what extent this problem is addressed by existing research into formal veriļ¬cation. We identify a range of issues with existing work which leads us to conclude that, broadly speaking, veriļ¬cation approaches on their own are too narrowly focussed. We argue that a shift in direction is needed, and outline some possibilities for such a shift in direction.Unpublished[1] N. Alechina, M. Dastani, B.S. Logan, and J.-J. Ch. Meyer. A logic of agent programs. In Proceedings of the Twenty-Second AAAI Conference on Artiļ¬cial Intelligence (AAAI), pages 795ā€“800, 2007. [2] N. Alechina, M. Dastani, B.S. Logan, and J.-J. Ch. Meyer. Reasoning about agent deliberation. In Gerhard Brewka and JĆ©rĆ“me Lang, editors, Proceedings, Eleventh International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, pages 16ā€“26, 2008. 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