On Natural Language Generation of Formal Argumentation

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of natural language interfaces to communicate formal argumentation, aiming to improve human understanding and interaction with argumentation systems.

Contribution

It provides an initial analysis of how natural language can effectively represent and communicate formal argumentation to humans.

Findings

Formal models capture human argument but are complex to explain.

Natural language interfaces may offer a more accessible alternative.

Further research is needed to develop effective natural language communication methods.

Abstract

In this paper we provide a first analysis of the research questions that arise when dealing with the problem of communicating pieces of formal argumentation through natural language interfaces. It is a generally held opinion that formal models of argumentation naturally capture human argument, and some preliminary studies have focused on justifying this view. Unfortunately, the results are not only inconclusive, but seem to suggest that explaining formal argumentation to humans is a rather articulated task. Graphical models for expressing argumentation-based reasoning are appealing, but often humans require significant training to use these tools effectively. We claim that natural language interfaces to formal argumentation systems offer a real alternative, and may be the way forward for systems that capture human argument.