Speech Acts and Multiple Environments

Abstract

This brief paper outlines joint work that implies a view of the explication of Speech Acts different from those current in Al.It is exploratory at present, but we intend that it should lead to programs as soon as possible. We propose a system that engages in dialogue with a human user so as to discuss others and in doing so, interprets the appropriate communicative force of the user's utterances. The three key features of the explication of communicative force presented are: 1.multiple environments: the ability to interpret an expression or a description relative to some particular knowledge, e.g.relative to the beliefs of one person about another. It is a generalization of the computer science approach to expression evaluation, using the notion of an environment to fix the interpretation of names occurring in the expression. 2.dual knowledge representation: an "experiential" representation is used to memorize sentences or other episodes (exemplified by pseudo-tests, or PTs), while a frame-type representation is used to memorize knowledge needed more generally for reasoning. 3.a least effort principle of understanding: considered to be a language universal, which requires (a) that the system maintain as much representation as possible in the frame-like forms, rather than in PTs, and (b) that the system maintain a highly redundant representation in the PTs, achieved by a process we call percolation of belief.