A Psychoanalytically-Inspired Motivational and Emotional System for Autonomous Agents Samer Schaat, Klaus Doblhammer, Alexander Wendt, Friedrich Gelbard, Lukas Herret, and Dietmar Bruckner Institute of Computer Technology Vienna University of Technology Vienna, Austria {schaat, doblhammer, wendt, gelbard, herret, bruckner}@ict.tuwien.ac.at Abstract—When developing autonomous agents, the problem of motivation poses one of the key questions. Following a bionic approach inspired by psychoanalysis, a multi-level motivational system to enable autonomous agents to pursue their own agenda and cope with their internal and external environment is presented. Considering embodiment, both homeostatic (extrinsic) and non-homeostatic (intrinsic) internal motivations are modeled. In particular, drives, which are represented on multiple levels, are modeled as the motivational element for agents’ actions. Representing an additional level of motivations, emotions are integrated as a co-determinant of decision making. Keywords—Cognitive Automation; Artificial General Intelligence; Artificial Recognition System; Autonomous Agents; Motivations; Emotions; Cognitive Architecture; Artificial Intelligence I. INTRODUCTION An autonomous agent is a system situated within an environment, on which it acts in pursuing its own agenda [1]. There, central questions arise, such as: How and why does such an agent perform any action at all? Which mechanism is the source for such actions? How are decisions made and which external or internal actions are to be executed? How does the agent regulate its internal state? The problem of motivation is omitted in non-autonomous systems, which simply fulfill a task as a tool. In such case the motivation is situated outside of the system. Hence, when developing autonomous systems the question of motivation must be solved first. Following a bionic approach, in the ARS (Artificial Recognition System) project [2] the human motivational system is used to develop a motivational system for an artificial agent. As an appropriate model for motivational processes the ARS project uses parts of the psychoanalytic model of human personality, which describes the functionality of motivations of a human being, presented in the psychoanalytic drive theory [3] [4]. Such a model is particularly appropriate for a functional approach to autonomous agents, due to its focus on internal motivations, as opposed to behavioristic approaches that focus on external stimuli as source for an agent’s behavior. Therefore the corresponding psychoanalytic theory is briefly introduced next. The psychoanalytic drive theory describes how a bodily state of tension is represented in the human psyche and how it operates therein, with the result of a concrete operation and an emotional state. The psyche represents a drive, i.e. a somatic organ tension, in a drive representation with a drive source (the organic point of origin), a drive aim (an activity that decreases the organic tension) and a drive object (with which the drive can achieve its aim) [5]. In addition to this, the drive’s original organ tension, particularly its quantity, is represented in the psyche as a quota of affect, which is split in aggressive and libidinous components (see Section IV). In further processes in the psychic apparatus this quota of affect can be used in its components for cathexes 1 . Furthermore, the quota of affect causes emotional states and finally brings pleasure when drive tension is discharged, i.e. when drives are satisfied, using the drive object and drive aim. This also leads to consciously perceived feelings. Discharge of quota of affects leads to pleasure; accumulation of quota of affects leads to unpleasure. In combination with the pleasure principle these are basic psychoanalytic rules. The pleasure principle states that all psychic activity has primarily the aim to gain pleasure and to avoid unpleasure. The generation of pleasure can be regarded as a reward and feedback mechanisms, with the amount of pleasure indicating the goal achievement, i.e. reduction of the tension at the drive source. Hence, psychoanalytic drive theory establishes a connection between bodily states, the psychic processing of them, and conscious actions, which result thereof. In addition, this theory serves as a basic concept for the generation of emotions and feelings and explains their impact on psychic processing, action planning and action execution. Emotions are an additional adjustment factor for decision making and execution. According to psychoanalytic theory, finally, an action in the external world is selected that leads to a maximal pleasure-gain – considering temporary accepted unpleasure due to necessary scheduling – over a certain period of time. This is called the reality principle, which extends and modifies the pleasure principle. By searching and finding an object for drive satisfaction – a process that a drive necessarily implies – a connection between an agent that wants to satisfy its drives and the environment is established. Objects of the external world get the state of 1 Cathexis describes the attribution of quota of affect to psychic content. As a result this content is valuated and activated for processes in the psychic apparatus and gets a specific relevance for inner psychic processes.