This editorial explains the benefits of preferences for AI systems and draws a picture of current AI research on preference handling. It thus provides an introduction to the topics covered by this special issue on preference handling. To act autonomously, the systems must choose among different actions and means of expression; to intelligently support humans' actions, they must understand and respond to the humans' choices. It is a natural assumption that agents who are acting in the world are experiencing the consequences of their actions and are not indifferent with respect to those experiences. An autonomous system such as a Mars rover can experience the consequences of moving along a path by measuring the energy consumption after the move, which will depend on the difficulty of the chosen path, and then judge whether the path was good or bad.

This article explains the benefits of preferences for AI systems and draws a picture of current AI research on preference handling. It thus provides an introduction to the topics covered by this special issue on preference handling.

This article explains the benefits of preferences for AI systems and draws a picture of current AI research on preference handling. It thus provides an introduction to the topics covered by this special issue on preference handling.