Computers that behave like humans will be just one of the areas of interest being covered at the international conference taking centre stage in the Granite City next week (April 1-4).
The world's oldest Artificial Intelligence society, the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB), is holding its annual convention in Aberdeen after a nine-year absence from Scotland.
The event, with the theme "Communication, Interaction and Social Intelligence", is organised by the University of Aberdeen and over 150 delegates are attending from the UK, the Americas, Australia and from across Europe.
A number of symposia, invited plenary talks and poster sessions will take place, as well as demonstrations. Some of the issues tackled by researchers in the field are, for instance, can a mobile phone motivate you to exercise? Does instant feedback on petrol use change how people drive? Do online rating systems inspire people to behave better online? Can a computer express emotions? Can a computer have a mind? The answers to these and many more questions will come under the spotlight at this prestigious event next week.
Dr. Frank Guerin and Dr. Wamberto Vasconcelos from the Computing Science Department at the University of Aberdeen are the Convention Chairs. Dr. Guerin said: "I am very much looking forward to welcoming delegates to the AISB 2008 Convention being held in Aberdeen. As the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) matures, AI systems begin to take their place in human society as our helpers. AI technologies are working behind the scenes in Internet applications we are all familiar with, as well as becoming embedded in consumer electronics, whether worn on the body, used at home or in vehicles. It, therefore, becomes essential for AI systems to have sophisticated social abilities to communicate and interact, and so to effectively support us in our everyday activities.
"All of this underscores the importance of communication, interaction and social intelligence in current Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science research. In addition to providing a home for state-of-the-art research in specialist areas, next week's convention also aims to provide suitable ground for new collaborations to be forged between complementary areas."
Symposium topics will also include the role of virtual creatures in a computerised society; brain signals being used to improve computer interfaces; computer games (logic and the simulation of interaction and reasoning); forensic analysis of text (creative generation and identification of authorship); and asking the age-old questions about the nature of the mind and consciousness, which are at the heart of computing and philosophy.
Dr. Vasconcelos added: "It is fantastic to see the University of Aberdeen associated with the prestigious AISB Convention. This demonstrates our strong commitment to and support for, computer science and artificial intelligence and the impact it has on all our lives.
"We will have some of the world's great computer science policy makers, scientists, engineers, and technologists coming to Aberdeen to discuss the challenges and perspectives for research in Artificial Intelligence. The event will provide an excellent insight into the area and will be used to define policies and strategies for research and development."
There will be a "Best Student Paper" award with a £250 prize, which will be presented at next week's symposium.
A public lecture is also being held on Thursday, April 3 at the University's Elphinstone Hall. The lecture, The rise of the machines; when artificial intelligence takes its place in society, will begin at 6pm and will look at trying to make computers act and think like humans, and the consequences for society. Two renowned experts in the field of Artificial Intelligence will capture the imagination of the audience when they take to the centre stage.
The first talk, Understanding the information turn: the fourth revolution, is being presented by Professor Luciano Floridi from the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Oxford. He is best known for his pioneering work which has contributed to the establishment of two new areas of philosophical research: the Philosophy of Information and Information Ethics. He is one of Italy's most influential thinkers in the area of Philosophy of Science, Technology, and Ethics. During his presentation, Professor Floridi will discuss the implications which would follow from artificially intelligent machines taking their place in human society. This would cause a revolution which Professor Floridi calls "the informational turn." This can be described as the fourth step in the process of dislocation and reassessment of humanity's fundamental nature and role in the universe.
Professor Floridi said: "We do not know if we are the only intelligent form of life. However, we are now slowly accepting the idea that we might be informational entities and agents among many others, and not so dramatically different from smart, engineered artefacts."
The second talk, What designers of artificial companions need to understand about biological ones, is being given by Professor Aaron Sloman from the University of Birmingham. He will explain why current Artificial Intelligence is nowhere near producing machines that could take the place of humans in society. There are difficult and deep problems that designers of such machines need to solve which become apparent only if AI designers look closely at the capabilities of biological organisms, including young children. Overcoming them will require major advances, which could take several decades, or much longer.