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Artificial intelligence and agents have been in a close relationship over the last thirty
years. AI discusses the ability for a system to learn and plan, while agents try
to integrate those components into an entity. However even though AI and agents
are tightly coupled, intelligence plays a rather small roll in an agent or as Etzioni
puts it "Intelligent agents are ninety-nine percent computer science and one percent AI".
In the 1990's, drawing from the traditional research within artificial intelligence and
human computer interaction a new paradigm was born, the software agent. Kay
argues that the Interface Agent has the ability to revolutionize computing science
as we know it today, the agent(s) will allow user's to go from direct manipulation to
interactions. Agents will act as experts so users doesn't always need to have the specific
know how for accomplishing certain tasks. Regular people could now accomplish
things that before required experts.
What is an Intelligent Interface Agent?
Intelligent agents are independent computer programs operating within software environments
such as operating systems, databases, or computer networks. Michael
Winikoff and his colleagues define an intelligent agent as one which is able to make
rational decisions, i.e., blending proactiveness and reactiveness, showing rational commitment
to decisions made, and exhibiting flexibility in the face of an uncertain and
changing environment.
The word agent is often used to describe people who assist or help others to achieve a
certain goal. Agents could for instance be travel agents, personal assistants, secretaries,
etc. The work it does is to assist someone in the best possible way, it could be to provide
help, advice or "run errands" for the user.
For the relationship between the agent and the user to work, the interaction between
them must be flawless. This is also the case with virtual computer agents; if the interaction
between the computer agent and the user is good the advice or help from the
agent will most likely be of great interest for the user.
Intelligence
The word "intelligence" is often associated with human intelligence; that kind of intelligence
that doesn’t exist in today’s computer technology. But the word intelligence
could also mean expertise, knowledge and how to accomplish certain tasks; this is the
kind of intelligence that this paper refers to and focuses on.
Interface
For an agent to be considered an "interface agent", the agent is required to communicate
through input and output of the user interface. An agent can observe actions taken by
the user on the interface and act according to the findings. The agent should also be
able to manipulate the interface such as adding graphics or animation to it.
Agent
Defining the word agent is not easy; almost every researcher in the human computer
interaction field have their own definition. Lieberman defines agent as "an agent
is any program that can be considered by the user to be acting as an assistant or
helper, rather than as a tool in the manner of a conventional direct-manipulation tool".
Maes describes agents as "Instead of user-initiated interaction via commands and/or
direct manipulation, the user is engaged in a co-operative process in which human and
computer agents both initiate communication, monitor events and perform tasks. The
metaphor used is that of a personal assistant who is collaborating with the user in the
same work environment."
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