A Review of Theoretical and Practical Challenges of Trusted Autonomy in Big Data

TL;DR

This review explores the challenges and opportunities in developing trusted autonomous systems by focusing on trust modeling, sensor technologies for sensing human states, and conceptual frameworks to advance the integration of humans and machines.

Contribution

It synthesizes existing literature on trust in autonomous systems, proposes conceptual models, and outlines critical questions to guide future research in trusted autonomy.

Findings

Trust modeling is central to autonomous system development.

Sensor technologies are crucial for sensing human states.

Proposes the concept of a Trusted Cyborg Swarm for seamless human-machine integration.

Abstract

Despite the advances made in artificial intelligence, software agents, and robotics, there is little we see today that we can truly call a fully autonomous system. We conjecture that the main inhibitor for advancing autonomy is lack of trust. Trusted autonomy is the scientific and engineering field to establish the foundations and ground work for developing trusted autonomous systems (robotics and software agents) that can be used in our daily life, and can be integrated with humans seamlessly, naturally and efficiently. In this paper, we review this literature to reveal opportunities for researchers and practitioners to work on topics that can create a leap forward in advancing the field of trusted autonomy. We focus the paper on the `trust' component as the uniting technology between humans and machines. Our inquiry into this topic revolves around three sub-topics: (1) reviewing and positioning the trust modelling literature for the purpose of trusted autonomy; (2) reviewing a critical subset of sensor technologies that allow a machine to sense human states; and (3) distilling some critical questions for advancing the field of trusted autonomy. The inquiry is augmented with conceptual models that we propose along the way by recompiling and reshaping the literature into forms that enables trusted autonomous systems to become a reality. The paper offers a vision for a Trusted Cyborg Swarm, an extension of our previous Cognitive Cyber Symbiosis concept, whereby humans and machines meld together in a harmonious, seamless, and coordinated manner.