http://www.cs.northwestern.edu/~mek802/pictures/lambeau-pic.jpg

Matthew Klenk klenk.matt@gmail.com

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence
Naval Research Laboratory

Washington, DC

Education

 

B.A. Computer Science, Emory University, May 2003
M.S. Computer Science, Northwestern University, December 2006
Ph.D. Computer Science, Northwestern University, June 2009

 

Research Interests

 

In my research, I seek to use models of human cognition to build better artificial intelligence (AI) agents.  Humans are able to robustly interact, reason, and learn about a broad range of domains.  This includes operating in new domains and performing new tasks without the brittleness commonly associated with traditional AI agents.  Furthermore, people are social animals, collaborating on tasks and learning from each other over time.  Consequently, I seek to build agents that collaborate with human users and learn over a range of tasks.  I recently wrote an article for Forbes on viewing computers as collaborators instead of merely tools.  This goal has led to three areas or research: analogical reasoning and learning, intelligent architecture development, and cognitive modeling. 

 

Analogical Reasoning and Learning

 

Analogy has long been seen as a method for knowledge based systems to overcome brittleness. But there are still many open questions concerning exactly when and how analogy can be employed to overcome this issue. My dissertation, Using Analogy to Overcome Brittleness in AI Systems, introduced the following two analogical methods.

  • Analogical model formulation uses within-domain analogies to formulate models of new situations based upon example-specific models.
  • Domain transfer via analogy uses cross-domain analogies to accelerate domain learning by transferring schemas and control knowledge from understood domains to new ones.

 

Relevant Papers:

 

Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2009. Analogical Model Formulation for Transfer Learning in AP Physics. Artificial Intelligence. Elsevier. [link]

Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2009. Persistent Mappings in Cross-Domain Analogical Learning of Physics Domains. Proceedings of the 2nd International Analogy Conference. Sofia, Bulgaria. [pdf]

 

Intelligent Architecture Development

 

When we begin to think of AI systems that exist over time operating over a range of tasks requiring intelligence, a number of important research areas arise. I have begun to addressing some of these while working on the Companions cognitive systems project.

  • Exploring broader and more complex tasks with which to evaluate intelligent architectures
  • Using multi-modal interaction to increase the communication bandwidth with users and reason over diverse representations

 

Relevant Papers:

 

 

Forbus, K., Klenk, M., and Hinrichs, T. 2009. Companion Cognition Systems: Design Goals and Some Lessons Learned. IEEE-Intelligent Systems, Special Issue on “Human-level Intelligence”

Klenk, M. 2009. Transfer as a Benchmark for Multi-Representational Architectures. AAAI Fall Symposium on Multi-Representational Architectures, Washington, DC. [pdf]

 

Cognitive Modeling

 

In my research, I seek to understand human reasoning by building computational models of it. This is necessarily an interdisciplinary project. The analogical reasoning methods from my thesis build upon existing Cognitive Science research of human analogical retrieval, matching, and problem-solving. In addition, I am also interested in other aspects of higher-order cognition resulting in the following models:

  • Knack provides an account of self-generated anchors and causal adjustment in numerical estimation. (with Praveen Paritosh)
  • MoralDM provides an integrated model of moral decision-making. (with Morteza Dehghani, Emmett Tomai, and Ken Forbus)

 

Relevant Papers:

 

Paritosh, P.K. and Klenk, M. 2006. Cognitive Processes in Quantitative Estimation: Analogical Anchors and Causal Adjustment. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci). Vancouver, BC. [pdf]

Dehghani, M., Tomai, E., Forbus, K., Iliev, R., and Klenk, M. 2008. MoralDM: A Computational Modal of Moral Decision-Making. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci), Washington, D.C. [pdf]

 

Publications [cv]

Dissertation

1.      Klenk, M. 2009. Using Analogy to Overcome Brittleness in AI Systems. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Northwestern University. June 2009. [pdf]

Selected Conferences and Journals

1.      Klenk, M., Forbus, K., Tomai, E., and Kim, H. (in press). Using Analogical Model Formulation with Sketches to Solve Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test Problems. Journal Experimental and Theoretical Artificial Intelligence, Special Issue on “Test-Based AI”. Taylor & Francis.

2.      Klenk, M., Aha, D. and Molineaux, M. (under review). Making the case for transfer: Case-based transfer learning. AI Magazine. AAAI Press.

3.      Klenk, M., Molineaux, M., and Aha, D. (under review). Goal-driven autonomy for responding to unexpected events in complex environments. Cognitive Systems Research. Special Issue on “Complex Cognition”. Elsevier.

4.      Molineaux, M., Klenk, M., and Aha, D. 2010. Planning in dynamic environments: Extending HTNs with nonlinear continuous effects. In Proceedings of Twenty-Fourth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-10). Atlanta, GA.  26% acceptance rate. [pdf]

5.      Molineaux, M., Klenk, M., and Aha, D. 2010. Goal-driven autonomy in a navy training simulation. In Proceedings of Twenty-Fourth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-10). Atlanta, GA.  29% acceptance rate (special track on Integrated Intelligence). [pdf]

6.      Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2009. Analogical Model Formulation for Transfer Learning in AP Physics. Artificial Intelligence. Elsevier. [link]

7.      Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2009. Domain Transfer via Cross-Domain Analogy. Cognitive Systems Research, Special Issue on “Analogies: Integrating Cognitive Abilities”. Elsevier. [pdf]

8.      Forbus, K., Klenk, M., and Hinrichs, T. 2009. Companion Cognition Systems: Design Goals and Some Lessons Learned. IEEE-Intelligent Systems, Special Issue on “Human-level Intelligence”

9.      Dehghani, M., Tomai, E., Forbus, K., and Klenk, M. 2008. An Integrated Reasoning Approach to Moral Decision-Making. Proceedings of AAAI-08: 23rd National Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Chicago, IL. 24% acceptance rate. [pdf]

10.  Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2007. Measuring the level of transfer learning by an AP Physics problem-solver. Proceedings of AAAI-07: 22nd National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Vancouver, BC. 27% acceptance rate. [pdf]

11.  Klenk, M., Forbus, K., Tomai, E., Kim,H., and Kyckelhahn, B. 2005. Solving Everyday Physical Reasoning Problems by Analogy using Sketches. Proceedings of AAAI-05: 20th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Pittsburgh, USA. 18% acceptance rate. [pdf]

Conferences

1.      Munoz-Avila, H., Aha, D.W., Jaidee, U., Klenk, M., and Molineaux, M. 2010. Applying goal directed autonomy to a team shooter game. In Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference.

2.      Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2009. Persistent Mappings in Cross-Domain Analogical Learning of Physics Domains. Proceedings of the 2nd International Analogy Conference. Sofia, Bulgaria. [pdf]

3.      Dehghani, M., Tomai, E., Forbus, K., Iliev, R., and Klenk, M. 2008. MoralDM: A Computational Modal of Moral Decision-Making. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci-08), Washington, D.C. [pdf]

4.      Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2007. Cognitive modeling of analogy events in physics problem solving from examples. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci-07). Nashville, TN. [pdf]

5.      Paritosh, P.K. and Klenk, M. 2006. Cognitive Processes in Quantitative Estimation: Analogical Anchors and Causal Adjustment. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci-06). Vancouver, Canada. [pdf]

Workshops and Symposia

1.      Klenk, M. 2010. Goal-Driven Autonomy in Planning and Acting. AAAI-10 Workshop on Goal directed Autonomy. Atlanta, GA. [pdf]

2.      Klenk, M. 2009. Transfer as a Benchmark for Multi-Representational Architectures. AAAI Fall Symposium on Multi-Representational Architectures, Washington, DC. [pdf]

3.      Laviers, K., Sukthankar, G., Klenk, M., Aha, D., and Molineaux, M. 2009. Opponent Modeling and Spatial Similarity to Retrieve and Reuse Superior Plays. ICCBR Workshop on Case-Based Reasoning for Computer Games. Seattle, WA. [pdf]

4.      Forbus, K., Hinrichs, T., and Klenk, M., 2008. Companion Cognitive Systems: Design Goals and Some Lessons Learned. AAAI Fall Symposium on Naturally-Inspired Artificial Intelligence, Washington, DC. [pdf]

5.      Dehghani, M., Tomai, E., Forbus, K., Iliev, R., and Klenk, M. 2008. MoralDM: A Computational Modal of Moral Decision-Making. Abstract accepted at the 2008 meeting of Society of Judge and Decision Making (SJDM). Chicago, IL.

6.      Klenk, M., Friedman, S., and Forbus, K. 2008. Learning Modeling Abstractions via Generalization. 22nd International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning. Boulder, CO. [pdf]

7.      Dehghani, M., Tomai, E., Forbus, K., and Klenk, M. 2008. Order of Magnitude Reasoning in Modeling Moral Decision-Making. 22nd International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning. Boulder, CO. [pdf]

8.      Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2007. Cross domain analogies for learning domain theories. In Angela Schwering et al. (Eds.), Analogies: Integrating Multiple Cognitive Abilities. Publications of the Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Volume 5-2007 [pdf]

9.      Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2007. Learning domain theories via analogical transfer. Proceedings of 21st International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning Workshop. Aberystwyth, U.K. [pdf]

10.  Klenk, M. and Forbus, K. 2006. Analogical Model Formulation for AP Physics Problems. 20th International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning. Hanover, USA. [pdf]

11.  Klenk, M., Forbus, K., Tomai, E., Kim,H., and Kyckelhahn, B. 2005. Solving Everyday Physical Reasoning Problems by Analogy using Sketches. Proceedings of 19th International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning. Graz, Austria. [pdf]

12.  Forbus, K., Lockwood, K., Klenk, M., Tomai, E., and Usher, J. 2004. Open-domain sketch understanding: The nuSketch approach. AAAI Fall Symposium on Making Pen-based Interaction Intelligent and Natural, Washington, DC, USA. [pdf]

Other Publications

1.      Klenk, M. (June 22nd, 2009) My Computer, My Collaborator. The AI Report on Fobres.com. Available at http://www.forbes.com/ai/

Awards

  • 2009-2011 National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2007-2008 Walter P. Murphy Chair Fellowship
  • 2004-2005 Piros Fellowship

 

Professional Affiliations and Activities

Invited Talks

  • “Alleviating Knowledge Brittleness through Analogical Reasoning and Learning”

‒        George Mason University, Vienna, VA. AI Seminar. June 2010.

‒        Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. Hector Munoz-Avila’s research group. May 2010.

Workshop Organizing Committee

  • AAAI-2010 Workshop on Goal-Directed Autonomy

Conference Program Committee

  • Cognitive Science Conference. Program Committee 2010
  • International Analogy Conference. 2009.

Reviewing

  • IEEE Intelligent Systems. 2009.
  • Applied Cognitive Psychology. 2008.
  • Cognitive Science Conference. 2008.

Service

  • Ran the NCARAI AI Seminar Series. 2009-2010.
  • Organized Northwestern University’s AI Reading Group. 2005-2006.

Professional Affiliations

  • Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (2005-present)
  • Cognitive Science Society (2006-present)