Future reasoning machines : mind and body

Purpose – In investing energy in developing reasoning machines of the future, one must abstract away from the specific solutions to specific problems and ask what are the fundamental research questions that should be addressed. This paper aims to revisit some fundamental perspectives and promote new approaches to reasoning machines and their associated form and function.

Design/methodology/approach – Core aspects are discussed, namely the one-mind-many-bodies metaphor as introduced in the agent Chameleon work. Within this metaphor the agent's embodiment form may take many guises with the artificial mind or agent potentially exhibiting a nomadic existence opportunistically migrating between a myriad of instantiated embodiments. The paper animates these concepts with reference to two case studies.

Findings – The two case studies illustrate how a machine can have fundamentally different capabilities than a human which allows us to exploit, rather than be constrained, by these important differences.

Originality/value – Aids in understanding some of the fundamental research questions of reasoning machines that should be addressed.