Cognitive architecture is the most advanced type. It mimics how humans think.
These agents have separate modules for perception, memory, reasoning, and adaptation. Each module does its job. Together they create human-like decision-making.
The BDI framework is one example:
- Beliefs (what the agent knows),
- Desires (what it wants to achieve),
- Intentions (what it commits to doing).
Cognitive agents can operate in complex, uncertain environments. They improve over time. They handle situations they’ve never seen before.
But they’re also the hardest to build. Most current LLM-based agents use simpler architectures. Cognitive architectures are more common in robotics and advanced AI research.
The future probably looks more like this: agents that truly reason, learn, and adapt like we do.