1. Intelligent Agents
revisited

2. What is an Intelligent Agent
An agent is a tool that carries out tasks on behalf of a human user
What is the difference between an agent and a conventional (non-intelligent) program?

3. Properties of Intelligent Agents
Intelligence
Autonomy
Ability to Learn

4. Intelligence
An intelligent agent possesses domain knowledge and the ability to use that knowledge to solve its problems more efficiently
Ability to reason about its knowledge is essential

5. Autonomy
Autonomy is the ability to act independently of the human user’s instructions
Autonomy depends largely on the ability to reason, plan, and learn

6. Ability to Learn
Learning enables an agent to solve problems it has not previously faced, and to learn from past experience.
Learn both concepts and actions

7. Ability to Learn
Learn from the environment based on feed back of how successful the agent is
Reinforcement learning: based on evaluation functions
Learn by instruction: the user provides the feedback
Evolutionary learning: neural networks and genetic algorithms

8. Other Properties Co-Operation: interaction between agents.
Versatility: ability to carry out a range of different tasks.
Benevolence: helpfulness to other agents and people.
Veracity: tendency to tell the truth.
Mobility: ability to move about in the Internet or another network (or the real world).

9. Types of agents Simple reflex agents – almost no reasoning abilities
Agents that keep track of the world – have memory
Goal-based agents – have goals
Utility-based agents – can evaluate their performance

10. Simple Reflex Agents
External world IF
Condition
Action
THEN

11. Agents with Memory
THEN
External world
Memory IF
Condition
Action

12. Agents with Goals
Goals
Condition IF
THEN
Choose a rule

13. Utility-Based Agents Goals Condition IF THEN Choose a rule
Utility function

14. Robotic Agents Robotic agents exist in the real world
Robots operate in a stochastic, inaccessible environment
Robots must also be able to deal with large numbers of other agents (such as humans) and other complicating factors.
Robots must deal with change and uncertainty well.

15. Robotic Autonomous Agents
Knowledge and reasoning
Planning
Learning
Vision abilities
Language understanding

16. Multi-Agent Systems Agents work together to achieve a common goal
Agents in multi-agent systems usually have the ability to communicate and collaborate with each other.

17. Applications Software agents for information processing
Industrial robots
Social robots