Applying a description logic of typicality as a generative tool for concept combination in computational creativity

Abstract

In this work we exploit a nonmonotonic Description Logic of typicality as a tool for the generation and the exploration of novel creative concepts. Our logic, called TCL, is able to deal with the phenomenon of prototypical concept combination, which has been shown to be problematic to be modelled in formalisms like fuzzy logic. The logic TCL is the result of combining three main ingredients: (i) the logic of typicality ALC + T R , that allows one to describe typical properties of a class by means of a typicality operator, (ii) the distributed semantics of probabilistic Description Logics, that allows one to provide a probability distribution over worlds/scenarios, and (iii) established heuristics used by humans for concept composition coming from the field of cognitive semantics. Our approach could be useful in many applicative scenarios, ranging from video games to the creation of new movie characters.