The human in the loop of a delegated agent: The theory of adjustable social autonomy

In this paper, we refer to social autonomy in a collaborative relationship among agents based on delegation and help. We address the problem of adjust able autonomy, i.e., we discuss when modifying the assigned/received delega tion entails a corresponding enlargement or restriction of autonomy and at which level. We stress in particular the role played in autonomy by: 1) the degree of "openness" of delegation (execution autonomy), 2) the allowed in itiative in (re)starting negotiation (meta-autonomy), 3) the degree and kin d of control (feedback+intervention), and 4) the strength of delegation wit h respect to interaction. We show how the adjustability of delegation and a utonomy is actually "bilateral," because not only the user (delegator, trus tor, client) can adjust the autonomy of the agent (delegee, trustee, contra ctor), but the agent can also have (cooperative) reasons for and the abilit y to change the received delegation and modify its own autonomy in it. Adju stment is also "bidirectional" (from more autonomy to less autonomy, or vic e versa), and multidimensional. Finally, we analyze some reasons for modify ing the assigned autonomy and show how the adjustment of autonomy depends-o n the delegator's side-on a much less than crisis of trust much greater tha n; vice versa, the delegee's adjustment of its own autonomy depends on some disagreement about the trust received from the delegator, and, in particul ar, either a higher or lower confidence in itself or in external circumstan ces. Some preliminary hints about necessary protocols for adjusting the int eraction with agents are provided. This work is neither directly prescripti ve nor simply descriptive. It is aimed at providing a theoretical framework , i.e., the conceptual instruments necessary for analyzing and understandin g interaction with autonomous entities.