PowerPoint PresentationDefinitionWhy Agents?Some RequirementsHow Agents WorkAgents That LearnSlide 7Examples of Learning AgentsThe Easy BeeAgent UtopiaAgent DystopiaQuestions for DiscussionAGENTSHeather NodlerINF 385Q - Knowledge Management SystemsDr. Don TurnbullApril 26, 2005DefinitionAgents -Autonomous software processes that interact with users and with each other according to certain conventions-Assist users with information gathering and other processes-Sometimes called “bots”Why Agents?In the Internet age, agents help users cope with ever-increasing amounts of information and work.Some RequirementsTechnical•Processes must flow smoothly and accuratelySocial•Users need sense of control•Users’ privacy must be maintained•Users must be able to see/change actions taken by agentsHow Agents WorkKnowledge-based - Interface agent endowed with knowledge of a specific application and a specific user or set of usersLearning - Autonomous agent performs tasks like a personal assistant, learning user’s behavior through observation and communication with other agentsAgents That LearnAdvantages•Require minimum background knowledge•Program themselves, are more dynamic•Increase in reliability over time, gain user trust•Can get help from other agents to deal with specific user tasks•Assist in transfer of knowledge among users in a groupAgents That LearnDisadvantages•Use of application requires a good deal of repetitive behavior•Can create privacy issues, especially when agents share info with each other•Lack subtlety of human judgement/behavior•Agents can exhibit imperfect behavior, especially early on•Users might have overblown expectations•“Cold start” problemExamples of Learning Agents•E-mail handling applications•Meeting scheduling agents•Electronic news filtering agents•Entertainment recommender systems•Online dating systems•Other applicationsThe Easy BeeAgent Utopia•Will serve as social equalizers, giving full support staff to people who couldn’t afford it otherwise•Will make our lives easier•Will grow smarter, more effective, and will be entrusted with more critical information•Everything will be transparentAgent Dystopia•Will create conflicts/confusion•Will invade users’ privacy•Will allow more code-savvy users to deceive/take advantage of others•Will take the human element out of processes that benefit from some error (e.g., markets)•Will create overstandardizationQuestions for Discussion•To what extent do you use/trust agents now? Examples?•What will agents of the future do? •How can agents be applied in KM? •Are some some things too important to be entrusted to
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