![Sylwia Polberg-Riener](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/1606?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Sylwia Polberg-Riener
Lecturer
School of Computer Science and Informatics
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
My main research area is artificial intelligence with a particular focus on computational argumentation. I am especially interested in:
- Argument-based approaches for modelling agents and dialogues
- Reasoning with uncertainty
- Connecting argumentation and cognitive science for non-normative agent reasoning
- Empirical verification of argumentation formalisms
- Expressive power and translations between argumentation approaches
- Application of dialogue-based agents in eHealth
- Equality and diversity biases in technology and artificial intelligence
Further details of my work can be found in other tabs.
I am part of the Forma Argumentation Theory and Knowledge Representation And Reasoning research groups at COMSC.
Publication
2023
- Hadoux, E., Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2023. Strategic argumentation dialogues for persuasion: framework and experiments based on modelling the beliefs and concerns of the persuadee. Argument and Computation 14(2), pp. 109-161. (10.3233/AAC-210005)
2022
- Baroni, P., Cerutti, F. and Giacomin, M. 2022. A generalized notion of consistency with applications to formal argumentation. In: Toni, . et al. eds. Computational Models of Argument., Vol. 353. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS Press, pp. 56-67., (10.3233/FAIA220141)
2021
- Cerutti, F., Cramer, M., Guillaume, M., Hadoux, E., Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2021. Empirical cognitive studies about formal argumentation. In: Gobbay, D. et al. eds. Handbook of Formal Argumentation, Volume 2., Vol. 2. College Publications, pp. 851.
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S., Potyka, N., Rienstra, T. and Thimm, M. 2021. Probabilistic argumentation: a survey. In: Gobbay, D. et al. eds. Handbook of Formal Argumentation, Volume 2., Vol. 2. College Publications, pp. 397-444.
2020
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S. and Thimm, M. 2020. Epistemic graphs for representing and reasoning with positive and negative influences of arguments. Artificial Intelligence 281, article number: 103236. (10.1016/j.artint.2020.103236)
2019
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S. and Potyka, N. 2019. Delegated updates in epistemic graphs for opponent modelling. International Journal of Approximate Reasoning 113, pp. 207-244. (10.1016/j.ijar.2019.07.006)
- Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2019. A model-based theorem prover for epistemic graphs for argumentation. Presented at: 15th European Conference on Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning with Uncertainty (ECSQARU 2019), Belgrade, Serbia, 18-20 September 2019.
- Potyka, N., Polberg, S. and Hunter, A. 2019. Polynomial-time updates of epistemic states in a fragment of probabilistic epistemic argumentation. Presented at: 15th European Conference on Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning with Uncertainty (ECSQARU 2019), Belgrade, Serbia, September 18-20, 2019. pp. -.
2018
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S. and Potyka, N. 2018. Updating belief in arguments in epistemic graphs. Presented at: 16th International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Tempe, AZ, USA, 30 October - 2 November 2018Sixteenth International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning. Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence pp. 138-147.
- Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2018. Empirical methods for modelling persuadees in dialogical argumentation. Presented at: 2017 IEEE 29th International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI), Boston, MA, USA, 6-8 November 20172017 IEEE 29th International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI). IEEE pp. 382-389., (10.1109/ICTAI.2017.00066)
- Polberg, S. and Hunter, A. 2018. Empirical evaluation of abstract argumentation: supporting the need for bipolar and probabilistic approaches. International Journal of Approximate Reasoning 93, pp. 487-543. (10.1016/j.ijar.2017.11.009)
- Thimm, M., Polberg, S. and Hunter, A. 2018. Epistemic attack semantics. Presented at: 7th International Conference on Computational Models of Argument, Warsaw, Poland, 12th-14 September Presented at Modgil, S., Budzynska, K. and Lawrence, J. eds.Computational Models of Argument, Vol. 305. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS pp. 37-48., (10.3233/978-1-61499-906-5-37)
- Hadoux, E., Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2018. Biparty decision theory for dialogical argumentation. Presented at: 7th International Conference on Computational Models of Argument, Warsaw, Poland, 12th-14 September 2018 Presented at Modgil, S. and Budzynska, K. eds.Computational Models of Argument, Vol. 305. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS pp. 233-240., (10.3233/978-1-61499-906-5-233)
2017
- Polberg, S., Hunter, A. and Thimm, M. 2017. Belief in attacks in epistemic probabilistic argumentation. Presented at: SUM 2017, Granada, Spain, 4-6 Oct 2017 Presented at Moral, S. et al. eds.Scalable Uncertainty Management, Vol. 10564. Lecture Notes in Computer Science Cham, Switzerland: Springer Verlag pp. 223-236., (10.1007/978-3-319-67582-4_16)
2016
- Polberg, S. 2016. Understanding the abstract dialectical framework. Presented at: JELIA 2016, Larnaca, Cyprus, 9-11 Nov 2015 Presented at Michael, L. and Kakas, A. eds.Logics in Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 10021. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Verlag pp. 430-446., (10.1007/978-3-319-48758-8_28)
2014
- Polberg, S. and Oren, N. 2014. Revisiting support in abstract argumentation systems. Presented at: 5th International Conference on Computational Models of Argument, Pitlochry, Scotland, 9-12 September 2014 Presented at Parsons, S. et al. eds.Computational Models of Argument, Proceedings of COMMA 2014, Vol. 216. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS Press pp. 369 - 376., (10.3233/978-1-61499-436-7-369)
- Polberg, S. 2014. Extension-based semantics of abstract dialectical frameworks. Presented at: 7th European Starting AI Researcher Symposium, Prague, Czech Republic, 18th-22 August 2014 Presented at Endriss, U. and Leite, J. eds.Proceedings of the 7th European Starting AI Researcher Symposium, Vol. 264. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS Press pp. 240-249., (10.3233/978-1-61499-421-3-240)
- Brewka, G., Polberg, S. and Woltran, S. 2014. Generalizations of dung frameworks and their role in formal argumentation. IEEE Intelligent Systems 29(1), pp. 30-38. (10.1109/MIS.2013.122)
- Polberg, S. and Doder, D. 2014. Probabilistic abstract dialectical frameworks. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 8761, pp. 591-599. (10.1007/978-3-319-11558-0_42)
2013
- Polberg, S., Wallner, J. P. and Woltran, S. 2013. Admissibility in the abstract dialectical framework. Lecture notes in computer science 8143, pp. 102-118. (10.1007/978-3-642-40624-9_7)
Articles
- Hadoux, E., Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2023. Strategic argumentation dialogues for persuasion: framework and experiments based on modelling the beliefs and concerns of the persuadee. Argument and Computation 14(2), pp. 109-161. (10.3233/AAC-210005)
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S. and Thimm, M. 2020. Epistemic graphs for representing and reasoning with positive and negative influences of arguments. Artificial Intelligence 281, article number: 103236. (10.1016/j.artint.2020.103236)
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S. and Potyka, N. 2019. Delegated updates in epistemic graphs for opponent modelling. International Journal of Approximate Reasoning 113, pp. 207-244. (10.1016/j.ijar.2019.07.006)
- Polberg, S. and Hunter, A. 2018. Empirical evaluation of abstract argumentation: supporting the need for bipolar and probabilistic approaches. International Journal of Approximate Reasoning 93, pp. 487-543. (10.1016/j.ijar.2017.11.009)
- Brewka, G., Polberg, S. and Woltran, S. 2014. Generalizations of dung frameworks and their role in formal argumentation. IEEE Intelligent Systems 29(1), pp. 30-38. (10.1109/MIS.2013.122)
- Polberg, S. and Doder, D. 2014. Probabilistic abstract dialectical frameworks. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 8761, pp. 591-599. (10.1007/978-3-319-11558-0_42)
- Polberg, S., Wallner, J. P. and Woltran, S. 2013. Admissibility in the abstract dialectical framework. Lecture notes in computer science 8143, pp. 102-118. (10.1007/978-3-642-40624-9_7)
Book sections
- Baroni, P., Cerutti, F. and Giacomin, M. 2022. A generalized notion of consistency with applications to formal argumentation. In: Toni, . et al. eds. Computational Models of Argument., Vol. 353. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS Press, pp. 56-67., (10.3233/FAIA220141)
- Cerutti, F., Cramer, M., Guillaume, M., Hadoux, E., Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2021. Empirical cognitive studies about formal argumentation. In: Gobbay, D. et al. eds. Handbook of Formal Argumentation, Volume 2., Vol. 2. College Publications, pp. 851.
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S., Potyka, N., Rienstra, T. and Thimm, M. 2021. Probabilistic argumentation: a survey. In: Gobbay, D. et al. eds. Handbook of Formal Argumentation, Volume 2., Vol. 2. College Publications, pp. 397-444.
Conferences
- Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2019. A model-based theorem prover for epistemic graphs for argumentation. Presented at: 15th European Conference on Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning with Uncertainty (ECSQARU 2019), Belgrade, Serbia, 18-20 September 2019.
- Potyka, N., Polberg, S. and Hunter, A. 2019. Polynomial-time updates of epistemic states in a fragment of probabilistic epistemic argumentation. Presented at: 15th European Conference on Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning with Uncertainty (ECSQARU 2019), Belgrade, Serbia, September 18-20, 2019. pp. -.
- Hunter, A., Polberg, S. and Potyka, N. 2018. Updating belief in arguments in epistemic graphs. Presented at: 16th International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Tempe, AZ, USA, 30 October - 2 November 2018Sixteenth International Conference on Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning. Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence pp. 138-147.
- Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2018. Empirical methods for modelling persuadees in dialogical argumentation. Presented at: 2017 IEEE 29th International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI), Boston, MA, USA, 6-8 November 20172017 IEEE 29th International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI). IEEE pp. 382-389., (10.1109/ICTAI.2017.00066)
- Thimm, M., Polberg, S. and Hunter, A. 2018. Epistemic attack semantics. Presented at: 7th International Conference on Computational Models of Argument, Warsaw, Poland, 12th-14 September Presented at Modgil, S., Budzynska, K. and Lawrence, J. eds.Computational Models of Argument, Vol. 305. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS pp. 37-48., (10.3233/978-1-61499-906-5-37)
- Hadoux, E., Hunter, A. and Polberg, S. 2018. Biparty decision theory for dialogical argumentation. Presented at: 7th International Conference on Computational Models of Argument, Warsaw, Poland, 12th-14 September 2018 Presented at Modgil, S. and Budzynska, K. eds.Computational Models of Argument, Vol. 305. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS pp. 233-240., (10.3233/978-1-61499-906-5-233)
- Polberg, S., Hunter, A. and Thimm, M. 2017. Belief in attacks in epistemic probabilistic argumentation. Presented at: SUM 2017, Granada, Spain, 4-6 Oct 2017 Presented at Moral, S. et al. eds.Scalable Uncertainty Management, Vol. 10564. Lecture Notes in Computer Science Cham, Switzerland: Springer Verlag pp. 223-236., (10.1007/978-3-319-67582-4_16)
- Polberg, S. 2016. Understanding the abstract dialectical framework. Presented at: JELIA 2016, Larnaca, Cyprus, 9-11 Nov 2015 Presented at Michael, L. and Kakas, A. eds.Logics in Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 10021. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Verlag pp. 430-446., (10.1007/978-3-319-48758-8_28)
- Polberg, S. and Oren, N. 2014. Revisiting support in abstract argumentation systems. Presented at: 5th International Conference on Computational Models of Argument, Pitlochry, Scotland, 9-12 September 2014 Presented at Parsons, S. et al. eds.Computational Models of Argument, Proceedings of COMMA 2014, Vol. 216. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS Press pp. 369 - 376., (10.3233/978-1-61499-436-7-369)
- Polberg, S. 2014. Extension-based semantics of abstract dialectical frameworks. Presented at: 7th European Starting AI Researcher Symposium, Prague, Czech Republic, 18th-22 August 2014 Presented at Endriss, U. and Leite, J. eds.Proceedings of the 7th European Starting AI Researcher Symposium, Vol. 264. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications IOS Press pp. 240-249., (10.3233/978-1-61499-421-3-240)
Research
The ability to argue and to present arguments in favour or against a given topic is one of the most fundamental, yet complex aspects of human reasoning. It impacts almost everything we do, from decisionmaking to communicating to legal systems. It is therefore not surprising that with the development of computer science, argumentation has become a prominent area within Artificial Intelligence, with applications spanning from medicine and legal reasoning to text comprehension.
The data that is produced by and collected about us has grown drastically over the last decades and can no longer be processed by humans only. At the same time, the availability of human specialists is insufficient in many countries and efforts are made to delegate some of their duties, such as information provision in healthcare, to appropriate pieces of software. All of these developments have led to automated systems becoming vital components for making decisions that can significantly
affect both the lives of individuals and society as a whole. While there are obvious benefits, there are also threats; regular reports of discriminatory behaviour of modern technologies should serve as a reminder than AI is not flawless.
It is therefore becoming more and more apparent that the automated systems need to be able to explain and defend their decisions in an understandable manner. Furthermore, humans need to be able to take part in the decision making process and object to the results if necessary. In other words, the systems need to be able to argue. Additionally, the equality, diversity and inclusivity deficiencies in the technologies we create need to be acknowledged. Steps need to be taken towards increasing the safety and transparency of the tools we create as well as towards raising awareness among researchers on how and when ethical and social issues can arise as a result of our work.
In my research I focus on these two challenges. My main are expertise is artificial intelligence with a particular focus on computational argumentation. I am especially interested in:
- Argument-based approaches for modelling agents and dialogues
- Reasoning with uncertainty
- Connecting argumentation and cognitive science for non-normative agent reasoning
- Empirical verification of argumentation formalisms
- Expressive power and translations between argumentation approaches
- Application of dialogue-based agents in eHealth
- Equality and diversity biases in technology and artificial intelligence
Teaching
I currently lead the following module, covering a wide range of topics or related to informatics:
Please follow the links to find more about the module content. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Past modules:
I am also interested in outreach activities, especially when it comes to introducing school pupils to concepts in computer science. My primary experience is with "Computer Science Unplugged" activities. Interesting resources can be found here.
Biography
I am a computer scientist by education; I have obtained my BSc and MSc diplomas from the Warsaw University of Technology, and completed my PhD studies at the Vienna University of Technology.
Professional memberships
Since 2016, I am the secretary of the Knowledge Representation and Reasoning 12.1 Working Group of the International Federation for Information Processing Technical Committee on Artificial Intelligence. The group maintains the KRPortal website.
Academic positions
| March 2019 - present | Lecturer at Cardiff School of Computer Science and Informatics |
March 2016 - February 2019 | Research Associate at UCL Department of Computer Science Member of the EPSRC-funded project Framework for Computational Persuasion EP/N008294/1 |
| October 2014 - February 2016 | Project Assistant at Vienna University of Technology Institute of Logic and Computation Member of the bilateral FWF-DFG project Abstract Dialectical Frameworks: Advanced Tools for Formal Argumentation I1102 |
Supervisions
I am interested in supervising students in the areas of:
- computational argumentation, and
- digital humanism, with a focus on equality and diversity biases in AI and technology.
Contact Details
+44 29225 10998
Abacws, Room 5.60, Senghennydd Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4AG