22.1 Communication as Action

Speech acts (utterances) are not necessarily auditory.

• inform "There is a breeze in location 2,3."

• query "Is there a pit in location 2,4?"

• answer "I do not know if there is a pit in location 2,4."

• request or command "I suggest you go to location 2,4."

• promise or offer "I will go to location 2,4."

• acknowledge "Okay"

The agent must know:

• when to speak

• what to say

• what an external speech act means (syntax and semantics)

• why that external speech act was produced (models and beliefs)