Groups and Societies: One and the Same Thing?

To answer this question, we propose a general model of coordination in Multi-Agent Systems. Autonomous agents rst recognise how they depend on each other (they may need or prefer to interact about the same or diierent goals), and then, in the negotiation phase, exchange ooers in the form of commissive speech acts. Finally, agents adopt social, interlocking, commitments if an agreement is reached. Joint plans are seen as deals and team activity as a special case of social activity in which, having agents the same common goal, every possible deal is prootable. Consequently , notions traditionally involved in Cooperative Problem Solving such as help and joint responsibility are applied to any social interaction. Therefore, the answer to our question is yes.