Argumentative agents

Argumentation, initially studied in philosophy and law, has been researched extensively in computing in the last decade, especially for inference, decision making and decision support, dialogue, and negotiation. This paper focuses on the use of argumentation to support intelligent agents in multi-agent systems, in general and in the ARGUGRID project¹ and Agreement Technology action². In particular, the paper reviews how argumentation can help agents take decisions, either in isolation (by evaluating pros and cons of conflicting decisions) or in an open and dynamic environment (by assessing the validity of information they become aware of). It also illustrates how argumentation can support negotiation and conflict resolution amongst agents (by allowing them to exchange information and fill in gaps in their incomplete beliefs). Finally, the paper discusses how arguments can improve the assessment of the trustworthiness of agents in contract-regulated interactions (by supporting predictions on these agents´ future behaviours).