Self-organization and adjustable autonomy: Two sides of the same coin?

Abstract

In this paper the relationship between self-organization of multi-agent systems and adjustable autonomy in intelligent agents is explored. To discuss multi-agent organizations, the framework for Self-organization and robustness in multi-agent systems (FORM) is introduced. This framework uses delegation as the central concept to define organizational relationships in task-assignment multi-agent systems. For this purpose, it distinguishes two types of delegation: task delegation and social delegation. It further defines four different mechanisms to perform these types of delegation. Task delegation, social delegation and their mechanisms are used as basic building blocks to define a spectrum of seven organizational forms for agent groups. The whole spectrum is defined by qualitatively different relationships that couple agents more or less closely together. Using FORM, it is shown how self-organization, i.e. the deliberate choice of an organizational form in this spectrum, relates to adjustable autonomy.