Rethinking Autonomy

Author: Alterman R.

Source: Minds and Machines, Volume 10, Number 1, February 2000 , pp. 15-30(16)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This paper explores the assumption of autonomy. Several arguments are presented against the assumption of runtime autonomy as a principle of design for artificial intelligence systems. The arguments vary from being theoretical, to practical, and to analytic. The latter parts of the paper focus on one strategy for building non-autonomous systems (the practice view). One critical theme is that intelligence is not located in the system alone, it emerges from a history of interactions among user, builder, and designer over a given set of data as mediated by the system. A second critical theme is that artificially intelligent systems are ongoing projects that must be continuously adapted and revised using joint person-machine efforts.

Keywords: autonomy; building systems; users; practice; everyday activity; artificial intelligence; cognitive science

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Computer Science Department, Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254, USA This work was supported in part by ONR (N00014-96-1-0440). Additional funding was provided by NSF (ISI-9634 102).

Publication date: 2000-02-01