AAMAS 2002

Agents (adaptive or intelligent agents and multi-agent systems) are one of the most prominent and attractive technologies in Computer Science at the beginning of the new century. Agent and MAS technologies, methods,and theories are currently contributing to many diverse domains such as information retrieval, user interface design, robotics, electronic commerce, computer mediated collaboration, computer games, education and training, smart environments, ubiquitous computers, social simulation, etc. They are not only a very promising technology, they are emerging as a new way of thinking, a conceptual paradigm for analyzing problems and for designing systems, for dealing with complexity, distribution and interactivity, and perhaps a new perspective on computing and intelligence. 

Yet to realize this promise further advances are required in agent architectures, languages, theories, and design techniques. To accept this challenge, three very successful and high level events — AA (the International Conference on Autonomous Agents), ICMAS (theInternational Conference on Multi-Agent Systems), and ATAL (the International Workshop on Agent Theories, Architectures, and Languages) — have decided to build on their past successes and converge in 2002 ina Joint Conference. 

The aims of this joint venture are: 

• to strengthen the relationships within the broader Agent community,
• to enhance quality while promoting innovation,
• to encourage richer exchanges between theoretical and experimental research and applications, modelling and engineering, and between the micro and the macro levels of agent design, and
• to foster collaboration between information science and technology and the cognitive and social sciences.

The theme of the conference is 

Bringing People and Agents Together

As agent-based computing becomes ever more widespread, it is increasingly important for agents to interact effectively with people and with other agents. In addition to the normal research topics of the component conferences (see area keywords below), we particularly encourage submissions that address issues of  how to improve interaction and collaboration among agents and people. 

AAMAS 2002 topics include, but are not restricted to: 

• action selection and planning for agents
• agencies; holonic, complex, collective agents; micro/macro agents
• agent architectures (behavior based, reactive, neural, layered, hybrid, modular, BDI, emotion-based; etc.)
• agent architectures as cognitive models and models of mind
• agent-based software engineering
• agent-based workflow management and process control
• agent communication languages and protocols
• agent programming languages and environments
• argumentation, persuasion, and deception
• autonomy oriented computation robots
• autonomous robots and robot teams
• bidding and bargaining agents
• coalition formation
• agent architectures as cognitive models and models of mind
• cognitive robotics
• conflicts, conflict resolution, and negotiation
• conversational agents
• coordinating multiple agents and multiple activities
• coordination infrastructures
• deontic relations: commitments, obligations, permissions, authority, responsibility, rights, representation, delegation, empower, etc.
• electronic commerce, markets, auctions and exchanges
• emotion and personality
• evolution, adaptation and learning
• formalisms and logics for agents and MAS (of action, intentional attitudes, ability, obligations, mutual mental states, speech acts, coordination and cooperation, etc.); logic programming for agent and MAS; cognitive robotics
• groups, teams, organizations, and societies; group dynamics
• human-like, lifelike, and believable qualities of synthetic agents
• interface agents and conversational agents
• lessons learned from deployed agents
• methodologies and tools for specification, design, implementation, testing, validation, and benchmarking;
• middle-agents (e.g., matchmakers, brokers, routers)
• mobile agents
• moral and political issues in building or applying autonomous intelligent entities
• motivation, goal selection and theories of rational agency
• multiagent-based simulation for sociobiological, social, economic, and environmental issues
• ontologies for agents and social modeling; ontologies in agent-based information systems and knowledge management
• perception and action in agents
• philosophical foundations of agents
• privacy, security and agents; conceptual, technical, and legal issues.
• robustness, fault tolerance, performance, dependability, etc.
• scalability and complexity issues
• self-organizing systems and emergent organization
• agents and social navigation on the Web (stigmergy, traces, imitation, reputation, recommendation, etc.)
• social order, conventions, norms, social control; cultural norms and institutions
• standards for agents and MAS
• theories of agency and autonomy (agenthood, initiative, pro-activity; reliability, delegation, trust, control)
• user and agent modeling; social reasoning and social intelligence