Dependence Networks and Trust in Agents Societies: Insights and Practical Implications.

In human, artificial, and hybrid societies, agents continuously interact to carry out complex tasks. In this sense, knowing and analyzing the dependencies that an agent has towards others (and vice versa) becomes a tool of fundamental importance. Making use of a structural theory, within this study, we investigate the role of dependence networks in the interaction between agents, with particular interest in the relationship between dependence and trust. The results of this research provide valuable insights into the use of dependence networks and how they influence collaboration and resource management. In particular, it is interesting to note that agents that exploit dependence, even when they have to interact with untrustworthy partners, obtain better performance in situations where resources are limited. On the contrary, in contexts where the use of dependency is limited, trust takes on a more relevant role. These conclusions emphasize the importance of dependence networks and their practical applications in areas such as robotics, resource management, and collaboration between humans and artificial agents.