Embodied agent

In artificial intelligence, an embodied agent is an intelligent agent that interacts with the environment through a physical body within that environment. Agents that are represented graphically with a body, for example a human or a cartoon animal, are also called embodied agents, although they have only virtual, not physical, embodiment. A branch of artificial intelligence focuses on empowering such agents to interact autonomously with human beings and the environment. Mobile robots are one example of physically embodied agents; Ananova and Microsoft Agent are examples of graphically embodied agents.

Graphically embodied agents
Graphically embodied agents are a form of intelligent user interface. Graphically embodied agents aim to unite gesture, facial expression and speech to enable face-to-face communication with users: a powerful means of human-computer interaction. Face-to-face communication allows communication protocols that give a much richer communication channel than other means of communicating. It enables pragmatic communication acts such as conversational turn-taking, facial expression of emotions, information structure and emphasis, visualisation and iconic gestures, and orientation in a three-dimensional environment. This communication takes place through non-verbal channels such as gaze, gesture, spoken intonation and body posture.

This rich style of communication that characterises human conversation makes conversational interaction with embodied agents ideal for many non-traditional interaction tasks. The most familiar application of graphically embodied agents is computer games; embodied agents are ideal for this setting because the richer communication style makes interacting with the agent enjoyable. Embodied agents have also been used in virtual training environments, portable personal navigation guides, interactive fiction and storytelling systems, and automated presenters and commentators.

Research has found that users prefer a non-verbal visual indication of an embodied system's internal state to a verbal indication, demonstrating the value of additional non-verbal communication channels. As well as this, the face-to-face communication involved in interacting with an embodied agent can be conducted alongside another task without distracting the human participants, instead improving the enjoyment of such an interaction. Furthermore, the use of an embodied presentation agent results in improved recall of the presented information

Embodied agents also provide a social dimension to the interaction. Humans willingly ascribe social awareness to computers, and thus interaction with embodied agents follows social conventions, similar to human/human interactions. This social interaction both raises the believability and perceived trustworthiness of agents, and increases the user's engagement with the system. Rickenberg and Reeves found that the presence of an embodied agent on a website increased the level of user trust in that website; as well as this, the presence of the agent increased users' anxiety and affected their performance just as if they were being watched by a real human. Another effect of the social aspect of agents is that presentations given by a embodied agent are perceived as more entertaining and less difficult than the same presentations given without an agent.