#49: Empowerment in Robotics: Solo Brainstorm & AI Bonus Conversation with Dari Trendafilov

Jan 31, 2025

Dari Trendafilov, a PhD in Computing Science from the University of Glasgow, specializes in AI, robotics, and human-computer interaction. He delves into the fascinating concept of empowerment, discussing its role in robotics and its parallels with human psychology. Dari explores Claude Shannon's information theory and shares insights on swarm robotics and collective intelligence. The conversation highlights how intrinsic motivations shape decision-making processes in both robots and humans, revealing a thought-provoking interplay between technology and natural systems.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Empowerment in Robotics and Human Psychology

02:16 • 15min

Empowerment in Swarm Robotics

17:09 • 3min

Collective Intelligence in Swarm Robotics

20:06 • 18min

Exploring the Interplay Between Robotics and Nature

38:26 • 3min

Navigating Human-Computer Interaction

41:04 • 10min

Empowerment in Robotics: Information and Adaptability

50:41 • 7min

The Dynamics of User Empowerment in Mobile Interfaces

57:35 • 6min

The Dynamics of Robotic Swarms

01:03:56 • 10min

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Decoding the Empowerment Measurement in AI and Robotics with Dari Trendafilov. Dari has a PhD in Computing Science from the University of Glasgow, UK. His research interests are situated at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Human–Computer Interaction. He specialized in probabilistic information-theoretic modelling of complex systems and analysis of computational and interactive cognitive systems in the context of social and human–robot interaction. Towards his aim of establishing the fundamental information processing principles driving decision-making in living organisms, he has developed information-theoretic models and tools for the study of human sensorimotor dynamics, robotic and simulated systems, based on behavioural and physiological sensing and analysis.

In this episode, Andrea and Dari explore the concept of empowerment in the context of artificial intelligence and robotics. The discussion covers Claude Shannon's information theory, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and the application of these theories in human-computer interaction and swarm robotics. Dari shares insights from his research on swarm intelligence and the use of evolutionary algorithms for collective decision-making. The episode also touches on the broader implications of modeling intelligence and the dynamic interaction between agents and their environments.

00:00 Welcome to Love and Philosophy
00:11 Understanding Empowerment and Information Theory
01:41 Empowerment in Artificial Intelligence
04:43 Robotics and Human Interaction
06:56 Exploring the Concept of Empowerment
19:29 Swarm Robotics and Collective Intelligence
33:59 Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
40:36 Modeling Nature Through Robotics
42:38 The Journey to Empowerment Research
43:28 Challenges in Human-Computer Interaction
44:04 Interdisciplinary Approaches to Usability
44:50 Usability Engineering and Market Demands
45:30 Formal Models and Theories in HCI
47:20 Understanding Empowerment in HCI
51:01 The Role of Affordances
52:33 Introduction to Empowerment
53:07 Empowerment in Practice
53:33 Empowerment as a Measure
01:00:56 Applications and Implications of Empowerment
01:08:11 Swarm Robotics and Collective Intelligence
01:14:16 Modeling Intelligence and Future Directions

Empowerment papers

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.6583
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2003.08158
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2203.03355
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1710.05101
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1509.08731
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2801531/
Empowerment Paper

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