The Rise of the Web for Agents

Abstract

Autonomous intelligent agents are advanced pieces of software that can consume Web data and services without being preprogrammed for a specific domain. In this paper, we look at the current state of the Web for agents and illustrate how the current diversity in formats and differences between static data and dynamic services limit the possibilities of such agents. We then explain how solutions that strive to provide a united interface to static and dynamic resources provide an answer to this problem. The relevance of current developments in research on semantic descriptions is highlighted. At every point in the discussion, we connect the technology to its impact on communication. Finally, we argue that a strong cooperation between resource providers and developers will be necessary to make the Web for agents emerge.