ACtätypes

ACtätypes is a theoretical framework used to classify agents and artefacts within adaptive systems by patterns of interaction, autonomy, and learning. The term appears in discussions of intelligent agents, human–computer interaction, and robotics, where it serves as a compact way to compare how different agents engage with users and environments.

The name combines AC for adaptive cognition with tätypes, a stylized form of typologies drawn from linguistic and sociological vocabularies. This naming emphasizes cross-disciplinary approaches to categorizing agent behavior rather than proposing a fixed ontology.

The framework identifies three primary axes: autonomy, interaction modality, and adaptation strategy. Autonomy ranges from reactive agents that follow fixed rules to proactive agents that initiate actions. Interaction modality covers text, voice, gesture, and visual interfaces. Adaptation strategy distinguishes rule-based systems, learning-based systems, and hybrid approaches. Some formulations also consider environmental coupling and resource constraints to capture how agents operate within real-world settings.

Representative typologies include Type I, a reactive, fixed-rule agent with a text-only interface; Type II, an adaptive agent that adjusts behavior based on past interactions and supports multiple modalities; Type III, an autonomous agent capable of continual learning and initiative in dynamic environments; and Type IV, a co-adaptive agent designed to collaborate with humans with adjustable oversight.

ACtätypes inform the design and evaluation of digital assistants, robotics, and simulation environments, offering a concise vocabulary to discuss capability and role. Critics note that the framework can oversimplify complex systems, its categories may blur in practice, and there is a risk of conflating interface design with core autonomy. Related concepts include agent taxonomy, human–computer interaction typologies, and adaptive systems theory.