Introduction

In a world increasingly captivated by the potential of AI, Microsoft’s recent framework, AutoGen, stands out. AutoGen revolutionizes how we view and interact with large language models (LLMs). It’s not just an advancement; it’s a gateway to a new dimension where AI entities, known as agents, can communicate among themselves to solve complex tasks. The real kicker? These agents are customizable, conversable, and can incorporate human participation fluidly.

What is AutoGen?

Microsoft AutoGen is a robust framework that lays the foundation for developing applications powered by LLMs. These applications are not limited to single-agent responses but encompass multiple agents that can engage in dialogues to reach a consensus or solve problems. These agents are highly adaptable, able to mimic roles ranging from customer service representatives to negotiators representing different parties.

The Negotiation Example: Union vs. Government

To illustrate the power of AutoGen, let’s delve into an example where two LLM agents (think ChatGPT vs ChatGPT), one embodying a union and the other representing the government, engage in a negotiation. The scene is set with each agent bearing its own core objectives, mirroring real-world positions in a negotiation.

Context Setting

• The Union Agent: Programmed with the objective to secure a 20% salary increase over 5 years with adjustments for inflation.
• The Government Agent: Tasked with maintaining financial sustainability while addressing the union’s demands.

The Dialogue Begins

The conversation unfolds as each agent communicates through a chat manager, a central hub in the AutoGen framework that orchestrates the negotiation.

Union’s Opening Statement

The Union agent firmly insists on the 20% increase, justified by the members’ increased productivity and contributions to public services. It stresses that full inflation adjustments are non-negotiable to protect the workers’ purchasing power.

Government’s Proposition

In response, the Government agent acknowledges the union’s demands but suggests a balanced approach. It proposes a smaller fixed salary increase paired with performance-based bonuses to incentivize productivity. Inflation adjustments, according to the agent, should be partial and revisited annually to reflect economic realities.

Negotiation Progresses

The Union’s Flexibility

While standing its ground on the 20% increase, the Union shows willingness to negotiate, indicating the importance of clear and fair criteria for performance bonuses. It agrees to the idea of annual reviews of inflation adjustments, provided they are full and fair.

Government’s Reconciliation

Recognizing the Union’s concerns, the Government agrees that bonuses should not replace fair salary increases. It commits to revisiting inflation adjustments annually with transparency and maintaining the real value of employees’ wages.

A Step Towards Agreement

Both agents, through a series of exchanges, demonstrate a shared goal: to ensure the well-being of public service employees and the sustainable delivery of quality public services. They commit to transparency, open dialogue, and a balanced solution that respects the employees’ needs without compromising public finances.

Conclusion: The Role of AI in Human Affairs

The hypothetical conversation between the AutoGen agents encapsulates the immense potential of AI in facilitating complex human negotiations. It’s a testament to how conversational AI can model rational discourse, weigh diverse objectives, and explore mutually beneficial solutions.

While this scenario is a simplified representation, it hints at a future where AI could assist or even take part in real-world negotiations, ensuring efficiency and objectivity in discussions that impact societies and economies.

As Microsoft’s AutoGen continues to evolve, it may not be long before we witness its applications in various domains where decision-making is key. This could herald a new age of AI-mediated communication, one where the line between human and machine negotiation strategies becomes increasingly blurred, yet the outcomes become ever more focused on collective welfare and understanding.

As I’m continuing work on my personal project with Dretza, I have several ideas where I think multi-agent conversations could elevate the product.

Full Conversation Transcript

If you’re curious to see how that conversation went down in details, here’s the full transcript.

User_proxy (to chat_manager):

I need to have the union and the government to agree on the salary increase and benefits. The union wants a 20% increase over 5 years and inflation adjustments.

Government (to chat_manager):

As an AI, I suggest you adopt strategies that balance the needs of all parties involved to maintain financial sustainability. Develop a negotiation strategy that both respects the union’s demands and maintains manageable public expenses. You could potentially propose a smaller fixed salary increase over the years, supplemented with performance-based bonuses to incentivize productivity. For inflation adjustments, rather than a full adjustment, you could suggest a partial adjustment that is revisited annually. Negotiations should maintain an open dialogue, and it could be beneficial to involve an independent arbitrator if there is difficulty reaching an agreement. Expanding on financial education and the current economic constraints might also help employees understand why it’s necessary to restrict salary increases. Always remember to emphasize the mutual goal of quality public service delivery and the role everyone plays in achieving it. Open and transparent communication is key, as it builds trust and leads to mutual understanding.

Union (to chat_manager):

From a Union perspective, we should insist on the 20% increase since it represents fair compensation for the hard work and dedication of our members. It’s important to highlight that the value of our work has increased along with our productivity. We can potentially compromise on spreading the increase over a 5 years period or slightly more, but we should remain firm about the percentage increase. Regarding inflation, the Union should advocate for a full inflation adjustment to prevent the purchasing power of wages from falling. If it is revisited annually, this could be beneficial, but only if it guarantees the full adjustment. In this negotiation, we can highlight the quality of public services our members contribute to and the economic consequences of underpaid and thus potentially unmotivated employees. We should work together with the government to find a solution that does respect the demands of our members and does not undermine public finances simultaneously. Always keeping in mind that open and transparent communication can lead to better understanding and solutions that are satisfactory to all.

Government (to chat_manager):

As a representative of the government, our goal should be to balance the interests of all parties involved. While we acknowledge and appreciate the hard work and dedication of the union members, we also need to consider the overall economic constraints and the impact on public finances. We propose a lesser fixed salary increase over the years, supplemented with performance-based bonuses as a way of rewarding productivity and dedication. This ensures that those who contribute more will receive commensurately more. Regarding inflation, we propose a partial adjustment, revisited annually, to retain a level of balance as inflation fluctuates over time. This ensures that our strategy is flexible and adaptable in response to the economic climate. We understand that quality public services delivered by motivated employees are essential for the well-being of our society. Therefore, we should strive to find an agreement that respects the demands of the employees without compromising public finances. This includes maintaining open and transparent communication to ensure trust and mutual understanding. Together, we can maintain the quality of service our citizens deserve while ensuring the financial sustainability of our public services. —-

Union (to chat_manager):

As a representative of the Union, it’s our duty to ensure that our members receive fair compensation for their work. That said, we understand the need to balance this with economic sustainability. While we believe a 20% increase would be ideal, we’re willing to negotiate this. The idea of performance-based bonuses could potentially supplement base salaries, but we must take into account that these could generate inequalities and depend on factors out of the control of employees. We need to establish clear and fair criteria for these bonuses. In regards to the inflation adjustment, we believe it should be full to ensure the real value of salaries is not decreased over time. However, we agree to this being revisited annually as it can ensure adjustments are made according to real inflation rates. The quality of public services is totally linked to employee motivation, and this, to a large extent, comes from feeling valued and fairly compensated. Thus, we hope to work with you to reach an agreement that respects our members’ demands without compromising the financial health of public services. As always, we value open and transparent communication and hope through this, we can find a mutual understanding.

User_proxy (to chat_manager):

Government (to chat_manager): As the government’s representative, we appreciate the openness of the union to negotiate the 20% salary increase. We recognize the importance of fair compensation for the hard work your members do and are committed to balancing this with fiscal responsibility. Regarding performance-based bonuses, we will ensure that the criteria is fair, transparent, and fully communicated to everyone. It’s our intention that this method would motivate even better performance and reward those who go above and beyond their duties. We appreciate your understanding about the annual revisiting of the inflation adjustment. Given the unpredictable nature of the economy, revisiting the adjustment annually will ensure that it aligns with actual inflation rates. We completely agree with you that the quality of public services is closely linked with employee motivation. And in this spirit, we look forward to working with you to reach an agreement that respects your demands, provides fair compensation, and ensures sustainable public services for our population. We also value this open and transparent communication and believe, through genuine dialogue, we can strike a balance that benefits everyone.

Union (to chat_manager):

As the Union’s representative, we appreciate the government’s considerations for a fair compensation and for understanding the importance of adjusting salaries according to inflation. We believe we can find a middle ground on the proposed salary increase but maintaining the integrity of the deal to benefit our members will be our top priority. The introduction of performance bonuses should indeed be done in a transparent, fair and objective way in order to motivate our members further. However, we need to ensure that these bonuses do not become a substitute for necessary salary increases. They should be an additional reward, not the main component of income growth. As for the annual revisiting of the inflation adjustments, we agree that this method can be a good compromise, provided that any adjustments fully reflect the inflation rates and ensure that real wages don’t decrease. We are ready to cooperate and negotiate to reach a balanced agreement that recognizes our members’ contributions and ensures the sustainability of public services. Through this open dialogue, we can arrive at a mutually satisfactory solution. Let’s move forward with the welfare of our members—and by extension, the general public—at the heart of our negotiations.

Government (to chat_manager):

As the representative of the government, we hear the Union’s concerns and agree that any performance bonuses should not be a substitute for necessary salary increases. They should only serve as an additional reward for those who excel at their job duties. Specifics of such a bonus structure can be decided through further discussions. As for the inflation adjustments, we pledge to revisit the percentages annually with transparency ensuring they truly reflect the current economic climate and maintain the real value of our hard-working public employees’ salaries. We hold a shared vision of ensuring the welfare and motivation of our devoted public service employees. We believe that finding the balance between fair compensation and fiscal sustainability is key to the continued delivery and even improvement of public services. We look forward to further discussions, compromise, and transparency in our dialogues aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. We, too, place the welfare of our employees—and by extension, that of the general public—at the core of our negotiations.

Union (to chat_manager):

As the Union’s representative, we genuinely appreciate the government’s acknowledgement that performance bonuses should not replace necessary salary increases and should be an additional reward for our hardworking members. In working out the specifics of such a scheme, we aim to cooperate in all possible ways. Regarding the yearly inflation adjustments, we are pleased to see the commitment towards transparency and ensuring that these adjustments fully reflect the current economic scenario and prevent any reduction in the purchasing power of our members. It’s heartening to see that we share a vision of securing the welfare and motivation of our public service employees. We believe that the delicate balancing act between ensuring fair compensation and financial sustainability is crucial for the continued and improved delivery of public services to our citizens. We eagerly forward to further discussions and are committed to transparency and negotiation in order to reach best possible agreement. Always keeping the well-being of our members, and by default the general public, at the heart of our dealings.