AFRL/IISI Workshop on Mixed Initiative Decision Making
October 20-21, 2003
Cornell University
Intelligent Information Systems Institute (IISI)
Ithaca, NY USA
[Contacts]
[Workshop Overview] [Agenda]
[GAP Analysis] [Final
Report]
[Travel and Accommodations]
[Participants] [Sponsors]
| Program Information | Henry
Kautz, Assoc. Professor Department of Computer Science & Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 kautz@cs.washington.edu Carmel
Domshlak, Postdoctoral Associate |
| Local Arrangements | Beth Howard, Administrative
Assistant Dept. of Computer Science Cornell University 4130 Upson Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 bhoward@cs.cornell.edu |
Classical
decision theory assumes that:
The set of possible decisions and the probability distribution over outcomes is known in advance
The utility an agent assigns to any possible outcome is fully specified in advance
The goal of each agent is to maximize their expected utility
The computational cost of finding a solution need not be considered
Real-world
strategic decision making situations rarely meet all these requirements.
The initial decision problem is typically ill-defined, and the model of
the decision problem grows through many iterations as flaws and inconsistencies
are revealed. The
user's utilities are not always known in advance, but may only be determined
incrementally as he accepts or rejects candidate solutions.
Furthermore, a useful solution to a problem is not just a decision, but
rather a defensible reason for making that decision, in terms of the facts and
assumptions built into the model.
Finally, both the human and machine effort needed to make the decision
must be taken into account according to the broader decision context, which can
range from long-range planning to immediate action under fire.
Research
in Artificial Intelligence deals with many of these issues through work on
interactive planning, preference elicitation, resource-bounded reasoning, and
algorithms for single and multi-agent decision problems.
Some
researchers in psychology and decision science (such as work in judgment under
uncertainty and naturalistic decision making) also address situations with
poorly defined goals, missing data, stress, high stakes, time pressure, and
uncertainty. Studies
in fields such as military command and control show that the strategies human
experts employ are quite distinct from the simple classical model.
For example, classifying a situation as an instance of a
previously-solved problem is a more prevalent strategy than systematic weighing
of alternatives.
This workshop will bring together researchers in AI and decision science to discuss how real-world decision making could be improved though the creation of effective, interactive human-machine decision-making systems. Topics will include:
Algorithms that relax the assumptions of classical decision theory
Human and machine learning for operationally realistic decision making
Training and rehearsal environments
The
workshop is sponsored by the Rome Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the
Cornell Intelligent Information Systems Institute (IISI).
It will take place at Cornell University from 9 a.m. October 20 to 12
noon October 21, in 5130 Upson Hall.
The outcome of the workshop will be briefing advising the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY on areas of research that are important for Department of Defense funding. (AFRL evaluates DARPA proposals for many branches of the Department of Defense, so this advice will have broad impact.)
During the workshop we will have brief research overviews from some of the participants, and much discussion. The key component of the briefing that we will develop during the workshop is a gap analysis grid, that relates user needs, current capabilities, limitations of current capabilities, and suggested research.
Lunch and dinner will be provided on October 20.
Click here to see the agenda.
Click here to see the final report.
Travel and Accommodations
By air: You can fly directly into Ithaca (ITH) or into Syracuse (SYR),
which is a one-hour drive from Ithaca.
By car: For driving directions, see mapquest.com or similar sites.
Getting to campus: Local hotels can provide directions to campus. Attendees who are driving onto campus should stop at one of the visitor booths to obtain parking passes (cost $8/full day, $4/four hours). Click here to see the location of Upson Hall.
Hotels: Listed below are various hotels in Ithaca, all within a 10-15 minute drive to campus. The Statler Hotel is located right on campus, a mere 5 minute walk to Upson Hall. Contact information is as follows:
Statler Hotel (located on campus)
1-800-541-2501
Holiday Inn
607-272-1000
Best Western University Inn
607-272-6100
Clarion
607-257-2000
Ramada Inn
607-257-3100
Courtyard by Marriott
607-330-1000
Click here to see a list of participants.
Air Force Research Lab Intelligent Information Systems Institute