News & Updates

• 14.09.2020 - CMNA 2020 Proceedings are now available published through CEUR Workshop Proceedings.
• 08.09.2020 - CMNA is happening. Live stream available through our Facebook page.

In this uncertain time, we’d like to provide a little certainty. We fully intend for CMNA 20 to still go ahead. Albeit in an online capacity, following the lead provided by our hosts at COMMA and our sibling, co-hosted , COMMA workshops. So, in this spirit….

Since its inception in 2001, the CMNA workshop series focuses on the issue of modelling “natural” argumentation, where naturalness may range across a variety of forms, perhaps involving the use of visual rather than linguistic means to illustrate a point, for example using graphics or multimedia, or applying more sophisticated rhetorical devices, interacting at various layers of abstraction, or exploiting “extra-rational” characteristics of the audience, taking into account emotions and affective factors.

AI has witnessed a prodigious growth in uses of argumentation throughout many of its subdisciplines: agent system negotiation protocols that demonstrate higher levels of sophistication and robustness; argumentation-based models of evidential relations and legal processes that are more expressive; groupwork tools that use argument to structure interaction and debate; computer-based learning tools that exploit monological and dialogical argument structures in designing pedagogic environments; decision support systems that build upon argumentation theoretic models of deliberation to better integrate with human reasoning; and models of knowledge engineering structured around core concepts of argument to simplify knowledge elicitation and representation problems. Furthermore, benefits have not been unilateral for AI, as demonstrated by the increasing presence of AI scholars in classical argumentation theory events and journals, and AI implementations of argument finding application in both research and pedagogic practice within philosophy and argumentation theory.

The workshop focuses on the issue of modelling “natural” argumentation. Naturalness may involve the use of means which are more visual than linguistic to illustrate a point, such as graphics or multimedia. Or to the use of more sophisticated rhetorical devices, interacting at various layers of abstraction. Or the exploitation of “extra-rational” characteristics of the audience, taking into account emotions and affective factors.

This edition of the workshop will run as part of the Computational Models of Argument (COMMA) conference series.

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, COMMA will happen online and CMNA will follow that lead. This is a new and challenging mode of operation for many of us so we’ll try to keep you informed as to how things are proceeding. As a result it is well worth keeping an eye on both these and the COMMA webpages for updates regarding the practicalities of taking part in the wider COMMA programme