| |  | Milewski, Allen E. | Delegating to software agents read moreAbstract: There is currently a great deal of interest in the development of intelligent agents. While there is
little agreement on exactly what constitutes an intelligent agent, many definitions embody a user
interface model that differs from the traditional one where users perform tasks with the help of
computer-based “tools." In contrast, the "delegation" model associated with agents is based on
entrusting tasks to an autonomous, sometimes anthropomorphized system, whose performance
is monitored and evaluated. This change in user interface model is a dramatic one since
delegation can be a difficult and often-avoided behavior in humans. Agent interface designs need
to overcome well-established drawbacks in delegation. For this purpose, designers should find the
management sciences and organizational psychology literatures to be as relevant as that of
traditional human factors. This paper describes issues regarding task delegation as they pertain to
the design of intelligent agent user interfaces.  This article is not yet tagged | 1997 |