Discuss the following questions in the discussion forum: What are the similarities and differences between an agent and an object? What are the similarities and differences between an agent and an expert system?

Agents and objects

Similarities:

- They both encapsulate the state of a distinct entity in the sense that external entities can interact with them without having to understand the internal operations.

- They both have a way to communicate with others of their type.

Differences:

Objects are passive entities operation at the programming level, designed to manage their internal state according to strict programming logic rules

Agents are active entities designed to operate at higher rational level.  They can initiate and respond as higher living beings might.

Objects have little or no intelligence built in; they just respond to calls without “thinking” about the wider implications. 

Agents have “intelligence” in the AI sense; they can initiate, respond, emulate social behaviour, all in the context of a broader view of themselves and their interacting counterparts.

Objects are not fundamentally autonomous; they cannot make bigger picture decisions for themselves.  Agents are autonomous and can reason about a wider variety of situations, then make their own decisions concerning a internal concepts of preference.

Agents and Expert Systems – similarities and differences

Similarities

- They both have the capability to store and access information intelligently

- They both are capable of responding to information requests.

Differences

Expert systems are designed to have specialized intelligent information.  A narrow and deep domain.

Agents have a more general emulated intelligence relating to many information items about themselves and other entities with which they interact.  Broader and less deep domain.

Expert systems are designed to answer specific questions, but not act on the answers

Agents are asked to manage affairs in their domain according to defined goals, preferences etc..  They must act, negotiate, request, respond to requests, process a wide range of information items, optimize for goals, behave socially appropriately, etc.

Information from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqFwZ2xitUE