Search and Pursuit-Evasion in Mobile Robotics, A survey

This paper surveys recent results in pursuitevasion and autonomous search relevant to applications in mobile robotics. We provide a taxonomy of search problems that highlights the differences resulting from varying assumptions on the searchers, targets, and the environment. We then list a number of fundamental results in the areas of pursuit-evasion and probabilistic search, and we discuss field implementations on mobile robotic systems. In addition, we highlight current open problems in the area and explore avenues for future work

The Rhetoric and Reality of Anthropomorphism in Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) has historically been conceptualized in anthropomorphic terms. Some algorithms deploy biomimetic designs in a deliberate attempt to effect a sort of digital isomorphism of the human brain. Others leverage more general learning strategies that happen to coincide with popular theories of cognitive science and social epistemology. In this paper, I challenge the anthropomorphic credentials of the neural network algorithm, whose similarities to human cognition I argue are vastly overstated and narrowly construed. I submit that three alternative supervised learning methods—namely lasso penalties, bagging, and boosting—offer subtler, more interesting analogies to human reasoning as both an individual and a social phenomenon. Despite the temptation to fall back on anthropomorphic tropes when discussing AI, however, I conclude that such rhetoric is at best misleading and at worst downright dangerous. The impulse to humanize algorithms is an obstacle to properly conceptualizing the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies

On Learnable Mechanism Design

Engineering and Applied Science

The Behaviour of Corporate Actors. A Survey of the Empirical Literature

Much of behavioural research, both in economics and in psychology, is limited in one respect: it tests isolated individuals. In many practically relevant situations, there are discernible actors, but these actors are not individuals. Rather firms, regulatory bodies, associations, countries or international organisations become active. The social problem at hand is best understood if one attributes judgement and decision making to higher level aggregates of individuals. Which elements from the rich body of behavioural evidence transfer to these corporate actors? Are there other deviations from the predictions of the rational choice model, not present or studied in individuals? This paper surveys the empirical literature from experimental economics, psychology, sociology and law. While some building blocks, like the behaviour of managers and of ad hoc groups, are relatively well understood, our knowledge about the effects of more elaborate internal structure on the dealings of corporate actors with the outer world is still relatively limited.Behaviour, Firms, Organizations, Associations, Groups