A Multi-level Model of Motivations and Valuations for Cognitive Agents (original) (raw)

In developing cognitive agents using a functional model of the human mind as their decision unit, a model of motivations and valuations is needed as the basis for the agents' decision making. This enables agents to cope with their internal and external world while pursuing their own agenda. We show that a technical model based on the psychoanalytical drive concept and Damasio's neuro-biological findings is appropriate for human-inspired cognitive agents. In particular, after overcoming the hurdles of interdisciplinary work between hermeneutic and axiomatic approaches, a transformation of psychoanalytical and neuro-biological concepts into an consistent and deterministic model solves the problem of motivations and valuations in artificial cognitive agents. This multi-level model is presented, in which multiple principles and influences of valuation are used to incrementally generate and decide an agenda for the agent's behavior.