Language evolution and robotics Paul Vogt Universiteit van Tilburg Nederland

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 The AI-lab context  MSc (degree Univ. of Groningen)  PhD  Cooperators: –Bart de Boer, Tony Belpaeme, Andreas Birk, Edwin de Jong, Holger Kenn, Peter Stuer, Joris van Looveren, Danny Vereertbrugghen, Thomas Walle  Pioneering robotics and language evolution

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Language evolution Scientific objective:  identify and test theories regarding origins and evolution of language(s). Engineering objective:  build machines that can develop their own language-like communication system

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 SHRDLU (Winograd, 1972) Fully pre- programmed NLP, planner, etc.  symbol grounding problem

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Symbol grounding problem How do seemingly meaningless symbols become meaningful? (Harnad 1990) From: Pfeifer & Scheier 1999 Physical symbol system hypothesis: PSS are both sufficient and necessary condition for intelligence (Newel & Simon 1976). The symbols of a PSS only meaningful to an external observer.

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Language as complex adaptive dynamical system  Cultural interactions  Individual learning  Self-organisation

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Lexicon grounding on mobile robots Language games:  Sensing  Categorisation  Naming  Learning

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Talking Heads experiment (Steels et al.)  Interactive:  Human interface through Internet  Distributed:  Various sites (Antwerp, Brussels, Paris, London, Tokio, Lausanne, Amsterdam)  Two long periods:  May-November 1999  January-August 2000

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Other experiments  Brussels –vowel systems (De Boer) –colour names (Belpaeme) –situation concepts (De Jong) –grammar (De Beule, Wellens)  Elsewhere –Various aspects (Smith; Schulz et al; Gong et al; Cangelosi)

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Possible applications  Automatic ontology mapping (Vogt, Wiesman & Roos, 2001)  Web-based software agents  Human-robot interaction (He et al.)  Multi-robot systems in –hazardous environments –new or fast changing environments  Translators

50 jaar AI, Brussel, 23 november 2006 Towards human-level performance  Huge scale up  Grammar –Fluid construction grammar  More articulate control –Humanoid robots  Theory of Mind / joint attention