Social Interface Agents Lynne Hall. Overview zWhat are Social Interface Agents zWhy evolution is...
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Transcript of Social Interface Agents Lynne Hall. Overview zWhat are Social Interface Agents zWhy evolution is...
Social Interface Agents
Lynne Hall
Overview
What are Social Interface AgentsWhy evolution is neededThe agent community and GUISocial Interface Agent CharacteristicsSocial Interface Agents - from inception
to releaseSome thoughts for the future
Social Interface Agents
Software agents are software entities that do something on behalf of someone else in or through a computational environment
Interface agents are software agents that are tangible and visible at the interface level
Social Interface agents are interface agents that interact with the user in a social manner
Direct Manipulation / GUI Use Characteristics
Professional UserComputer literateWell structured task domainWell organised information domainDisplay lends itself to visualising all of the
different dimensionsComprehensible, predictable and
controllable interactions
Microsoft Powerpoint
New Use Characteristics
Untrained end usersLow levels of computer literacyNovel tasks with poor organisationIll-structured, dynamic information
domainDifficult to visualise information using
traditional GUI
Why is there a need for change?
Real limits for potential of information visualisation and direct manipulation
Computing environment becoming more complex
Users no longer trainedImmediacyNeed for assistance to be given to users
in a tangible, relevant, timely manner
A little history...
Origins within AI crossed with DAI extended by HCI, eagerly awaited by the net, altered by commerce and technological capability
Three principle interest groups: Agent community (AI led) Interaction designers Web Requirements
Agent Visibility
User Interface level users want to be in control need for predictability
Sub- User Interface level high utility of filtering agents adaptivity positive unless it interferes with user’s
interactionMost successful agents are the invisible ones
(currently)
Improving GUI...
Increase in automation Work - amplifies productivity of users Home - increase in disposable time
Increase user capabilities in task performancePreserve user’s sense of controlEnsure user’s sense of responsibilityIncrease the satisfaction of the user
experience
Design Issues
Extending Shniederman’s principles Principle of virtuality
representation of reality that can be manipulated by an actor selected by the user or by the user themselves
Principle of transparencyuser is able to apply intellect directly to the task, the
actor [tool] itself seems to disappear
Feeling of involvement directly with a world of actors and objects
Characteristics
Personalised - tailored to each individualProactive - can take initiative as it knows
what the user wantsPersistent - continue to run even when
user not presentAdaptive - change as user changesActs on your behalf whilst you are doing
other things
Characteristics 2
Not necessarily anthropomorphisedNot necessarily intelligent
Major Design Issues
Understanding does the user understand the potential and
limitations of the agent does the agent understand what task it should be
doing on behalf of the userControl
does the user trust the agent sufficiently to allow it to perform a task on the user’s behalf
does the agent have sufficient autonomy to perform the task successfully
Agent Researcher
Looks for net-based information can be preset by user may deduce user interests based on interactions
Proactively informs user of new informationExamples:Letizia (Lieberman), Firefly
(www.firefly.com) Added Value ?
Can introduce you to other users with similar interests Frees the user up from repetitive information searchesTailored information provision service
Agent Worker
Performs tasks that users do not wish to do because of time, desire, etc.
Enables user to be more efficient by removing mundane, time-consuming tasks
Examples: Kasbah Added Value
buying / selling finding best price / best match to specification
Agent Administrator
Administrator performs admin tasks, similar to a Personal
Assistant or the use of a Time Manager aids the user in organising their lives
considerable potential application
Remembrance Agent, Yenta
Agent Educator
Old concept (Intelligent Tutoring Systems)New “face”Can take on multiple possible roles
tutor peer
More tangible and visible, particularly if physically embodied (Bass’s Steve, for example)
Designing agents
Context…Primary goalsKey competenceBelievabilityTrustworthinessSuitability to roleCommunication aspects - vital for
success...
Take a scenario...
National Health Service Helpline context… agent characteristics agent interactions what does it look like? what does it do? is the image right?
Design and implement it
Technology issues bandwidth latency graphics
Implementation issues architecture fat / thin client / server languages
And how do you check it works?
Does HCI practice what it preaches?Evaluation…
some desperation and “making do” invisible / unavailable tests no industry / research benchmarks intuition, inspiration, innovation
Different to GUI?
Not really - why not?Same tests relevant?
Heuristic evaluation User testing Questionnaires
Shouldn’t there be something more? Psychological studies - trust, believability, nvc Media studies - believability, appearance Linguistics - communication
Symbiotic Relationship
AgentUserDirect Manipulation applications
Web Local applications Remote applications
Communication ProtocolsStandard Hardware / Software
Supporting symbiosis
Need to have agents that can be trusted and that really do what the user wants them to
Well designed information visualisation interfaces with appropriate direct manipulation can exist in parallel with agents
Agents do not necessarily “dumb-down” the interface, rather they increase usability
Varying levels of user control, agents are partially autonomous
Future
Need for comparisons of GUI direct manipulation and agent based interfaces
Focus needs to be on productivity enhancement as well as satisfaction and ease of use
Too much focus on the agent and not enough on the interface?
Summary
Social Interface Agents have enormous potential
Currently, technology, technique, functional fixedness and lack of inspiration hold us back
Similar in some respects to any other interfaceSome examples exist, but either not too good
or research basedLots of work still - is it the new paradigm?
Reading List
Stacks of stuff on the web (Maes’s group at MIT, Salford, CVE conferences, etc.)
Shneiderman, B., Maes, P., “Direct Manipulation vs. Interface Agents,” interactions (vol iv.6), November & December, 1997, pp. 42 - 61
Lanier, J., “A Conversation with Jaron Lanier,” interactions (vol ii.3), July, 1995, pp. 46 - 65