Towards an argument interchange format

  • Authors:

  • Carlos Chesñ/evar;Jarred McGinnis;Sanjay Modgil;Iyad Rahwan;Chris Reed;Guillermo Simari;Matthew South;Gerard Vreeswijk;Steven Willmott

  • Affiliations:

  • Universitat de Lleida, Catalunya, Spain/ e-mail: cic&commat/eps.udl.es and Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina;University of Edinburgh, UK;Cancer Research UK, UK;University of Edinburgh, UK and British University in Dubai, UAE;University of Dundee, UK;Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina;Cancer Research UK, UK;Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands;Universitat Politè/cnica de Catalunya, Catalunya, Spain

  • Venue:
  • The Knowledge Engineering Review
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

The theory of argumentation is a rich, interdisciplinary area of research straddling the fields of artificial intelligence, philosophy, communication studies, linguistics and psychology. In the last few years, significant progress has been made in understanding the theoretical properties of different argumentation logics. However, one major barrier to the development and practical deployment of argumentation systems is the lack of a shared, agreed notation or ‘interchange format’ for argumentation and arguments. In this paper, we describe a draft specification for an argument interchange format (AIF) intended for representation and exchange of data between various argumentation tools and agent-based applications. It represents a consensus ‘abstract model’ established by researchers across fields of argumentation, artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems. In its current form, this specification is intended as a starting point for further discussion and elaboration by the community, rather than an attempt at a definitive, all-encompassing model. However, to demonstrate proof of concept, a use case scenario is briefly described. Moreover, three concrete realizations or ‘reifications’ of the abstract model are illustrated.