Chapter 25 Challenges and Extensions ServiceOriented Computing Semantics

Chapter 25: Challenges and Extensions Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents – Munindar P. Singh and Michael N. Huhns, Wiley, 2005 Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents

Highlights of this Chapter n n n Chapter 25 Trust Ethics Coherence Benevolence Managing Privacy Key Challenges and Recommendations Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 2

Systemic Trust n Fundamentally n n n Requires n n n The information agents retrieve must be accurate, or characterized accurately The information agents contribute must be used appropriately Sources have reliability and reputation, and specify constraints on usage Dependencies are preserved and maintained Results: information items have credibility and domains of utility; agents self-organize into service communities Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 3

Trust means that services n n n Chapter 25 Are understood in context Have the right capabilities and understanding of needs Follow legal contracts where specified Support one’s organization or society Follow an understood ethics Failing all else, behave rationally Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 4

Ethical Abstractions Agents that are members of a society must have an ethics and a philosophy. This requires the development of components for n Deontological ethics n Teleological ethics n Consequentialism n Duties n Obligations n Applying ethics Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 5

Motivation The ethical abstractions help us specify agents who would act appropriately n Intuitively, ethics is just the basic way of distinguishing right from wrong n It is difficult to separate ethics entirely from legal, social, or even economic considerations Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 6

Right and Good n n Right: that which is right in itself Good: that which is good or valuable for someone or for some end Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 7

Deontological vs. Teleological n Deontological theories n n Teleological theories n n n Chapter 25 Right before good Being good does not mean being right Ends do not justify means Good before right Something is right only if it maximizes the good Ends justify means Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 8

Deontological Theories n Constraints n n Negatively formulated Narrowly framed n n Narrowly directed at the agent’s specific action n n Chapter 25 E. g. , lying is not-telling-the-truth Not its occurrence by other means Not the consequences that are not explicitly chosen, i. e. , only applies on consequences that are explicitly identified Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 9

Double Effect Deontological theories distinguish intentional effects from foreseen consequences n An action is not wrong unless the agent explicitly intends for it to do wrong n n Chapter 25 Legitimizes inaction even when inaction has predictable (but unintended) effects Shut down bank ATM for diagnostics even if that might leave someone without cash Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 10

Kant’s Categorical Imperative n Whatever maxim an agent uses must be universalizable, i. e. , in the society of agents n n n Chapter 25 Respect for others (no lying or coercion) so they can consent False promising is unacceptable, because if everyone did so, society would not function Agents’ maxims are uncertainly inferred from their actions Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 11

Teleological Theories n Based on how actions satisfy various goals, not their intrinsic rightness n n Chapter 25 Comparison-based Preference-based Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 12

Consequentialism An agent should promote whatever values it adopts n Actions are instrumental in the promotion n Honor the values only if doing so promotes them Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 13

Utilitarianism This is the view that a moral action is one that is useful n Must be good for someone n Good may be interpreted as n n Chapter 25 Pleasure: hedonism Preference satisfaction: microeconomic rationalism (assumes each agent knows its preferences) Interest satisfaction: welfare utilitarianism Aesthetic ideals: ideal utilitarianism Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 14

Prima Facie Duties n What agents need to decide actions are n n Agents have prima facie duties to help others, keep promises, repay kindness, . . . n n Chapter 25 Not just universal principles (each can be stretched) Not just consequences But also a regard for their promises and duties No ranking among these Highly defeasible conclusions, e. g. , steal to feed kids Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 15

Obligations are n For deontological theories, those that are impermissible to omit n For teleological theories, those that most promote good n For contract-based theories, those that an agent accepts Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 16

Asimov’s Laws of Robotics 0. A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm. [Added after the following more famous laws] 1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 17

Applying Ethics: 1 The ethical theories are theories n n n Chapter 25 Of justification Not of deliberation An agent can decide what basic “value system” to use under any approach Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 18

Applying Ethics: 2 n The deontological theories (“right”) n n The teleological theories (“good”) n n n Chapter 25 Are narrower Ignore practical consideration But are only meant as incomplete constraints (out of all the right actions, the agent can choose any) Are broader Include practical considerations But leave fewer options for the agent, who must always choose the best available alternative Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 19

Applying Ethics: 3 n The ethical approaches n n n Chapter 25 Are single-agent in orientation Implicitly encode other agents An explicitly multiagent ethics would be an interesting topic for study Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 20

An Agent Should Act n Benevolently n n Rationally, i. e. , maximizing utility n n Consistent with its model of itself (including its desires and capabilities) Predictably n Chapter 25 Seeking the welfare of others Consistent with its model of other agents’ beliefs about itself Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 21

Benevolence: “A Mattress in the Road” Who will stop to pick it up? Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 22

Information System Example: A Collective Store n n Benevolent agents might contribute information they have retrieved, filtered, and refined to a collective store Utilitarian variant: Access to the collective store is predicated on contributions to it Collective Store World Wide Web. . . Query Agents Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 23

Challenges and Recommendations Respect autonomy and heterogeneity n Design rules for various levels: ontologies, transactions, protocols, organizations, … n Security and trust: difficult given openness n Scalability n Quality of service understood to include user needs and application specifics n User-centered requirements analysis and design to capture key functionality in a manner that works in multiple settings Chapter 25 Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 24

To Probe Further n n n n Chapter 25 IEEE Internet Computing, http: //computer. org/internet DAI-List-Request@engr. sc. edu (International Joint Conference and Journal) Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems Journal of Web Semantics Intl. Semantic Web Conference (ISWC) Intl. Conf. on Service-Oriented Computing (ICSOC) Intl. Conf. on Web Services (ICWS) World-Wide Web Conference Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 25

Chapter 25 Summary n n SOC improves our effectiveness in building large-scale systems in open environments Because of openness, SOC systems rely upon trust among components and in dealing with people n n n Chapter 25 SOC technologies support aspects of trust: progressing, but not solved Concepts from human ethics can inspire abstractions for designing SOC systems Ethics can help make SOC systems manageable and responsive to human needs Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents - Munindar Singh and Michael Huhns 26