Agent programming in the cognitive era

It is claimed that, in the nascent ‘Cognitive Era’, 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., ‘AI as a service’, exploit immediate synergies between rapidly maturing AI techniques and agent programming, while others, e.g., ‘AI embedded into agents’ 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

Enrolling software agents in human organizations: the exploration of hybrid organizations within the socionics research program

Komplexe Organisationen sind zu einem beträchtlichen Grad durch interne Inkohärenzen, durch Differenzen zwischen den einzelnen Abteilungsinteressen und durch Inkonsistenzen des Zielsystems der Organisation gekennzeichnet. Demgegenüber zielt die Informationstechnologie prinzipiell auf einen kohärenten Operationsmodus, und sie ist deshalb, als Informationssystem, an organisatorischer Kohärenz interessiert. Das vorliegende Arbeitspapier beschreibt einen "sozionomisch" orientierten Ansatz im Rahmen des INKA-Projekts (Integration kooperationsfähiger Agenten in komplexen Organisationen), das die theoretischen und technologischen Grundlagen für einen Umgang mit den Inkohärenzen und der Heterogenität in komplexen Organisationen erforscht. Die Funktionsweise dieser "multiagent architecture" wird am Beispiel der Therapieplanung in einem Krankenhaus und der damit verbundenen Informationstechnologie verdeutlicht. (ICA)To a considerable degree, complex organizations are characterized by internal incoherence, by differences between the individual departments' preferences and patterns of actions and by inconsistencies of the organization's goals. On the contrary, information technology is intended to operate in a coherent way, and, therefore, information systems, designed to support organizational processes, usually proceed from the assumption of organizational coherence. The more traditional approaches to implement information systems in organizations often lead either to dysfunctional restrictions imposed on the organization by the information system¿s need to establish firm cause/ effect relationships. Or, reversely, they lead to incoherence imposed on the information system by the organization¿s structure. With agent technology, however, we have a chance to arrive at organizational information infrastructures that allow for both sides. The paper describes the theoretical background of the INKA research project (which is part of the socionics research program funded by the DFG) that aims at developing a solution to the problem sketched above by modeling and exploring hybrid forms of interaction between humans and artificial agents within organizational settings

Computational Ontologies and Information Systems II: Formal Specification

This paper extends the study of ontologies in Part I of this study (Volume 14, Article 8) in the context of Information Systems. The basic foundations of computational ontologies presented in Part I are extended to formal specifications in this paper. This paper provides a review of the formalisms, languages, and tools for specifying and implementing computational ontologies Directions for future research are also provided

Constructing deliberative agents with case-based reasoning technology

This article shows how autonomous agents may be constructed with the help of case-based reasoning (CBR) systems. The advantages and disadvantages of deliberative agents are discussed, and it is shown how to solve some of their inconveniences, especially those related to their implementation and adaptation. The Internet is one of the most popular vehicles for disseminating and sharing information through computer networks and it is influencing the business world. An agent-based solution is presented to show how the proposed technology may facilitate and improve an e-business strategy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

An autonomous agent based engineering sales support system.

The Internet has emerged as one of the most popular vehicle for disseminating and sharing information through computer networks. A distributed agent-based solution for e-businesses is presented and evaluated in this paper. The system has been developed to help the salesmen, of a construction firm, in their jobs. This business system has a high degree of autonomy, which has been achieved by the use of deliberative agents. A special type of agents has been developed for this particular system. Such agents use a case-base reasoning system to generate their action plans. These agents can be easily constructed from numerical specifications and have the ability of reasoning and adapting to the environmental changes without human supervision. The paper describes in detail both the multiagent based system and the deliberative agents used in it