AI agents can communicate but struggle to understand each other’s intentions. Cisco’s Outshift aims to bridge this gap with its Internet of Cognition.
Echoes in the Machine
In the dim corridors of technological advancement, AI agents murmur to one another, their voices mere echoes in a cavernous void. They converse, yet comprehension eludes them, each trapped within its own solitary mind. This spectral dissonance is the plight Cisco’s Outshift seeks to remedy, invoking the ambitious vision of an ‘Internet of Cognition.’ Herein lies the chasm: protocols such as MCP and A2A allow for the exchange of messages, yet they fail to weave the intricate tapestry of shared intent and understanding. Bereft of this, these agents wander through the labyrinth of coordination, their learnings ephemeral and unbound.
Vijoy Pandey, the enigmatic figure steering Outshift, laments this disconnect. He speaks of messages sent but not understood, of agents devoid of grounding and common purpose. In this mechanical ballet, each agent pirouettes in isolation, their collective dance lacking the harmony of shared intent. The specter of misalignment looms large, casting shadows over their endeavors.
The Grim Reality of Disjointed Tasks
Imagine, if you will, a patient ensnared within this web of disjointed tasks. A symptom assessment agent, cold and clinical, passes a diagnosis code to a scheduling agent, which, blind to the broader picture, secures the nearest appointment. An insurance agent verifies coverage, yet remains oblivious to the scheduling agent’s findings. Meanwhile, a pharmacy agent, unseeing of the patient’s history, recommends a drug that could spell doom. Each agent, a cog in the machine, operates in isolation, their actions devoid of the symphony of collaboration.
These agents, though connected, remain unaligned with the patient’s true needs. The pharmacy agent, ignorant of potential drug interactions, and the scheduling agent, unaware of superior insurance options, illustrate the perilous gaps in this mechanized process. They are bound by syntax, not semantics, their actions a hollow mimicry of true understanding.
Towards a Shared Consciousness
Outshift envisions a future where these spectral agents transcend their isolated existences, converging into a shared consciousness. To achieve this, they must grasp three elusive elements: pattern recognition across vast datasets, causal relationships between actions, and explicit goal states. Without these, they remain trapped in semantic isolation, their individual capabilities squandered in the void.
The proposed architecture, the ‘Internet of Cognition,’ seeks to bridge this chasm. It introduces cognition state protocols, a semantic layer that transcends mere message-passing, allowing agents to share not just data but intent. The cognition fabric, akin to a distributed memory, maintains shared context, while cognition engines empower agents to pool insights and enforce compliance. Yet, this vision remains a call to action, a spectral whisper in the night, urging industry-wide coordination to breathe life into this dream.
The Call of the Abyss
As Outshift toils in the shadows, crafting the code and publishing the blueprints of this nascent architecture, the specter of collaboration looms. Noah Goodman, a voice of reason amidst the tumult, speaks of innovation’s genesis in human connection. In the realm of AI, this dynamic mirrors the human condition: as agents learn, their value multiplies when others can harness their knowledge.
Thus, the question lingers in the air like a specter: Are your agents merely connected, or do they strive towards a common goal? In this dance of shadows and light, the answer holds the key to unlocking the true potential of AI’s collective mind.
