# Framework for Incorporating Artificial Somatic Markers in the Decision-Making of Autonomous Agents
## 4 Design of Artificial Somatic Markers for Decision-Making of Autonomous Agents
### Designing Algorithms for the Decision-Making of Autonomous Agents
In this way, a real implementation can consider different ways of incorporating the mentioned stimuli (e.g., a numerical variation of a stock market indicator; the receipt of a message from third parties whose content evokes a memory; an individual analysis of the autonomous agent that generates a result to activate a decision-making process). An example of a real implementation may correspond to considering a stimulus arranged as an \"object\", that is, a particular instance of a class named \"stimulus\" (object-oriented paradigm), something compatible with the agent-oriented paradigm. On the other hand, algorithm 3 considers \"high priority\" decisions (for stimuli of the threat and opportunity type) and \"normal priority\" decisions. The advantages of a \"high priority\" decision-making is that it guides a quick response from the autonomous agent. The results may be affected in terms of suggesting not examining all the possible options of a decision but responding quickly to the stimulus (as it sometimes happens in humans). Another option corresponds to modulate the type of threat or opportunity using a continuous scale and, in this way, to obtain a type of \"gradual response\" according to the received stimulus, allowing the emerging of intermediate stimulus types. The above could be considered as future work. A decision selectivity index is suggested in order to compare the different possible decision options and guide the choice regarding one of them. Another possible mechanism corresponds to the autonomous agent choosing the first available decision option (without further deliberation), which would bring the autonomous agent closer to an \"impulsive\" profile where, essentially, each decision made is not based on the performing of the analysis processes. Having a selectivity index also offers a flexible perspective in relation to the available decision options, since it eventually allows each autonomous agent to have their own mechanism for evaluating decision options, that is, for each autonomous agent to define their priorities and decide based on them. The conceptual study case, disposed in terms of a map of a hypothetical city and the circumstances described in the story, was specifically designed and thought to present and visualize possible applications of the general framework for incorporating artificial somatic markers in the decision-making of autonomous agents. It is not intended to present an ideal scenario where all situations occur according to plan, but rather, to show how an autonomous agent could perform in an interactive environment with real humans, in a decision scenario under pressure, and with decision-making factors that can change over time. The context of the transport of people on demand is a scenario complex enough to illustrate the possibilities of application of the current proposal. There are other scenarios that could also allow visualizing the applicability of the current proposal. For example, in an online shopping context, a stimulus on an offer for a short period of time may represent an external stimulus. In the same way, in the stock market context, a deep fall in market indicators can also form an external stimulus. In both cases, somatic memories can be recalled and considered within the decision-making process. In general, this framework has greater applicability whether the decision scenario can be defined within the variables and processes considered in the current proposal or not. The foregoing implies, for example, that external stimuli must ascribe to one of the two currently defined types (threat or opportunity) and that internal stimuli are associated with some primary emotion considered in the current proposal. In this sense, purchasing assistant systems or systems for risk analysis in investments can represent application examples. On the other hand, there are scenarios in which the direct application of this framework would be more difficult.