From Steve Austin to Peter Norvig : Engineering AMEE, the Simple Autonomous Agent

"We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better…stronger…faster." — The Six Million Dollar Man, 1973

The technology of the day

The power of a machine

The brain of a human

"More data beats clever algorithms, but better data beats more data." — Peter Norvig

"How to Write a Spell Corrector" — Peter Norvig (2007) : http://norvig.com/spell-correct.html

"Artificial Intelligence : A Modern Approach" — Russell & Norvig (1994)

"Are there imaginable digital computers which would do well in the imitation game?" — Alan Turing, 1950

"Anything that can be viewed as perceiving its environment through sensors and acting upon that environment through actuators" — Russell & Norvig, "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach" (1994)

"Software entities that carry out operations on behalf of a user with independence and employ knowledge of the user’s goals." — a multiply cited statement in an IBM white paper no longer accessible

Percepts, Actions, Goals, Environment

Percepts : Something that is perceived.

Actions : Something that is done; an act.

Goals : A desired result.

Environment : Conditions under which you operate.

Simple reflex agent : door robot

Model-based agent : vacuum robot

Goal-based agent : find this vacuum robot for me online

Utility agent : buy this vacuum robot at the best price

Learning agent : remember where you get the best price on vacuum robots

Imitating users

Carrying out tasks

Using percepts, actions, goals, and environment

Via reflex, model, goal, utility, learning

AMEE can successfully navigate any 2-dimensional maze of arbitrary size.

Agent Class: Goal-based

Percepts: Various kinds of doors

Actions: Affordances to view, turn, and move

Goals: Escape!

Environment: XML messages via HTTP protocol

AMEE’s Environment : Include rewards (added points) and dangers (lost points)

Agent Class : Level up to utility[L4] (scoring) and learning[L5] (improving score)

Navigation

Selection

Acquiring

Remembering

Learning

"It is impossible for a machine to have enough different organs to make it act in all the contingencies of life in the way in which our reason makes us act." — Rene Descartes, Discourse on Method (1637)