Extending CATS: mixed-initiative inferencing

Abstract

CATS is an architecture for building diagnostic expert systems. The authors describe an extension to CATS to support mixed-initiative inferencing. Currently the user cannot volunteer any information other than that requested by the system. Mixed-initiative inferencing will allow that user to do this. Issues discussed are: when the user can volunteer information; what information the user can volunteer; how the system treats that information; and what the system must do when the user-supplied information conflicts with the system's current knowledge.<>