Special issue on artificial intelligence in modeling and simulation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is concerned with the development of innovative computing systems based on new models that simulate or emulate different aspects of natural intelligence. Such models can exhibit characteristics typically attributed to human intelligence like reasoning, perception, planning, learning, pattern recognition, problem-solving, rationality, and decision making, as well as more general characteristics of intelligence, like autonomy, proactivity, adaptability or sociability. Examples of AI models are knowledge-based systems, intelligent agents and multi-agent systems. AI can be an appealing computational tool for the modeling and simulation of systems for which it is difficult or even impossible to develop detailed physical or engineering simulation models using standard mathematical methods. AI-based models can be very useful for simulating natural and intentional systems as found for example, but not only, in different fields like social, economic and life sciences.