A Dialectic Architecture for Computational Autonomy

This paper takes the view that to be considered autonomous, a software agent must possess the means by which to manage its own motivations and so arbitrate between competing internal goals. Using the motivational theories of Abraham Maslow as a starting point, we investigate the role that argumentation processes might play in balancing the many competing aspects of a whole agent’s motivational agenda. This is developed into an Agent Argumentation Architecture (AAA) in which multiple “faculties” argue for different aspects of the total behavior of the Agent. The overall effect of these internal arguments then defines which actions the agent will select for expression, and so define the overt and observable “personality” of the agent.