Theory of Mind

 

While reactive and limited memory AI machines exist and are used in everyday life, Theory of Mind (ToM) is the future we eagerly await.

Machines in this class will be based on psychology – they will focus on forming a picture of the world and understanding that living things have thoughts and emotions that influence their decision-making and behavior, which in psychology is called the Theory of Mind.

We expect these machines to be capable of meaningful interaction, as they will understand the intent and emotions of another person. That’s the goal – if AI systems are to walk among us as members of society, they should adjust their behavior and treat people with respect and care.

The theory of mind is not yet fully developed, although there is a lot of work in this field, so we can expect results in the near future.

Theory of Mind Examples

We cannot give a concrete example of the use of Theory of Mind machines because they are still not present in everyday life, but what we do know now is our expectations of them. 

In the previous section, we mentioned that the Theory of Mind implies understanding the mental state of the persons with whom we interact. For example, autonomous cars driven by ToM will have to make decisions based on understanding the cognitive processes and behavior of other road users – drivers and pedestrians.