The role of emotion in believable agents

Articial intelligence researchers attempting to create engaging apparently living creatures may nd important insight in the work of artists who have explored the idea of believable character In particular appropriately timed and clearly expressed emotion is a central requirement for believable characters We discuss these ideas and suggest how they may apply to believable interactive characters which we call believable agents This work was supported in part by Fujitsu Laboratories and Mitsubishi Electric Research Laborato ries The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the ocial policies either expressed or implied of any other parties Keywords articial intelligence emotion believable agents art animation believable characters BELIEVABILITY Believability There is a notion in the Arts of believable character It does not mean an honest or reliable character but one that provides the illusion of life and thus permits the audience s suspension of disbelief The idea of believability has long been studied and explored in literature theater lm radio drama and other media Traditional character animators are among those artists who have sought to create believable characters and the Disney animators of the s made great strides toward this goal The rst page of the enormous classic reference work on Disney animation Thomas and Johnston begins with these words Disney animation makes audiences really believe in characters whose adventures and misfortunes make people laugh and even cry There is a special ingredient in our type of animation that produces drawings that appear to think and make decisions and act of their own volition it is what creates the illusion of life Many articial intelligence researchers have long wished to build robots and their cousins called agents that seem to think feel and live These are creatures with whom you want to share some of your life as with a companion or a social pet For instance in his