Escape from the factory of the robot monsters: agents of change

Abstract

Purpose-The increasing use of robotics within modern factories and workplaces not only sees us becoming more dependent on this technology but it also introduces innovative ways by which humans interact with complex systems. As agent-based systems become more integrated into work environments, the traditional human team becomes more integrated with agent-based automation and, in some cases, autonomous behaviours. This paper discusses these interactions in terms of team composition and how a human-agent collective can share goals via the delegation of authority between human and agent team members. Design/methodology/approach-This paper highlights the increasing integration of robotics in everyday life and examines the nature of how new novel teams may be constructed with the use of intelligent systems and autonomous agents. Findings-Areas of human factors and human-computer interaction are used to discuss the benefits and limitations of human-agent teams. Research limitations/implications-There is little research in (human-robot) (H-R) teamwork, especially from a human factors perspective. Practical implications-Advancing the author's understanding of the H-R team (and associated intelligent agent systems) will assist in the integration of such systems in everyday practices. Social implications-H-R teams hold a great deal of social and organisational issues that need further exploring. Only through understanding this context can advanced systems be fully realised. Originality/value-This paper is multidisciplinary, drawing on areas of psychology, computer science, robotics and human-computer Interaction. Specific attention is given to an emerging field of autonomous software agents that are growing in use. This paper discusses the uniqueness of the human-agent teaming that results when human and agent members share a common goal within a team.

Designing for human–agent collectives: display considerations

“…It is important that we view the interaction between the human and agent as a partnership in every sense of the term, with control passing seamlessly between the two. In many ways this partnership is no different to human-human partnerships that we seem in traditional team settings, with the success being based on a transparent and understandable communication between all parties involved in the interaction (Richards, 2017).…”

“…This process, of course, holds at its core a very human issue that will determine whether the agents are performing in an appropriate manner, or whether the goal is attainable. When we examine human team performance, the role and importance of trust is a significant factor in determining the efficiency of that team and likelihood of achieving their goal (Richards, 2017). There are have been many different attempts to define the concept of trust, ranging from psychological, sociological and philosophical concepts being related to: predictability (Gambetta, 1988); a willingness to allow action to occur (Mayer et al, 1995); or a set of interrelated factors (McKnight & Chervany, 2001).…”

Agent-based models of bounded rationality

“…Typical agents for organization research are, for example, employees, managers and/or executives of an organization (e.g. in this issue: Bardone and Secchi, 2017;Lorscheid and Meyer, 2017;Richards, 2017); intelligence units such as teams or departments (e.g. in this issue: Herath et al, 2017;Sreekanth and Roy, 2017); up to entire firms competing in a market (e.g.…”

Human-Machine Interaction and Human Resource Management Perspective for Collaborative Robotics Implementation and Adoption

“…However, efforts to overcome the challenging aspects of a technological implementation may be worth it as it can lead to greater organizational performance [1]. It is notably the case of collaborative robotics that can enable organizations to increase their productivity and efficiency, and to reduce their costs [10,11].…”