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Successor Features for Transfer in Alternating Markov Games

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

-- This paper explores successor features for knowledge transfer in zero-sum, complete-information, and turn-based games. Prior research in single-agent systems has shown that successor features can provide a "jump start" for agents when facing new tasks with varying reward structures. However, knowledge transfer in games typically relies on value and equilibrium transfers, which heavily depends on the similarity between tasks. This reliance can lead to failures when the tasks differ significantly. T o address this issue, this paper presents an application of successor features to games and presents a novel algorithm called Game Generalized Policy Improvement (GGPI), designed to address Markov games in multi-agent reinforcement learning. The proposed algorithm enables the transfer of learning values and policies across games. An upper bound of the errors for transfer is derived as a function the similarity of the task. Through experiments with a turn-based pursuer-evader game, we demonstrate that the GGPI algorithm can generate high-reward interactions and one-shot policy transfer . When further tested in a wider set of initial conditions, the GGPI algorithm achieves higher success rates with improved path efficiency compared to those of the baseline algorithms.


I Watched AI Agents Try to Hack My Vibe-Coded Websit

WIRED

A few weeks ago, I watched a small team of artificial intelligence agents spend roughly 10 minutes trying to hack into my brand new vibe-coded website. The AI agents, developed by startup RunSybil, worked together to probe my poor site to identify weak spots. An orchestrator agent, called Sybil, oversees several more specialized agents all powered by a combination of custom language models and off-the-shelf APIs. Whereas conventional vulnerability scanners probe for specific known problems, Sybil is able to operate at a higher level, using artificial intuition to figure out weaknesses. It might, for example, work out that a guest user has privileged access--something a regular scanner might miss--and use this to build an attack.


Towards Cognitive Synergy in LLM-Based Multi-Agent Systems: Integrating Theory of Mind and Critical Evaluation

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Recently, the field of Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) has gained popularity as researchers are trying to develop artificial intelligence capable of efficient collective reasoning. Agents based on Large Language Models (LLMs) perform well in isolated tasks, yet struggle with higher-order cognition required for adaptive collaboration. Human teams achieve synergy not only through knowledge sharing, but also through recursive reasoning, structured critique, and the ability to infer others' mental states. Current artificial systems lack these essential mechanisms, limiting their ability to engage in sophisticated collective reasoning. This work explores cognitive processes that enable effective collaboration, focusing on adaptive theory of mind (ToM) and systematic critical evaluation. We investigate three key questions. First, how does the ability to model others' perspectives enhance coordination and reduce redundant reasoning? Second, to what extent does structured critique improve reasoning quality by identifying logical gaps and mitigating biases? Third, the interplay of these mechanisms can lead to emergent cognitive synergy, where the collective intelligence of the system exceeds the sum of its parts. Through an empirical case study on complex decision making, we show that the integration of these cognitive mechanisms leads to more coherent, adaptive, and rigorous agent interactions. This article contributes to the field of cognitive science and AI research by presenting a structured framework that emulates human-like collaborative reasoning MAS. It highlights the significance of dynamic ToM and critical evaluation in advancing multi-agent systems' ability to tackle complex, real-world challenges.


DeepGo: Predictive Directed Greybox Fuzzing

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

The state-of-the-art DGF techniques redefine and optimize the fitness metric to reach the target sites precisely and quickly. However, optimizations for fitness metrics are mainly based on heuristic algorithms, which usually rely on historical execution information and lack foresight on paths that have not been exercised yet. Thus, those hard-to-execute paths with complex constraints would hinder DGF from reaching the targets, making DGF less efficient. In this paper, we propose DeepGo, a predictive directed grey-box fuzzer that can combine historical and predicted information to steer DGF to reach the target site via an optimal path. We first propose the path transition model, which models DGF as a process of reaching the target site through specific path transition sequences. The new seed generated by mutation would cause the path transition, and the path corresponding to the high-reward path transition sequence indicates a high likelihood of reaching the target site through it. Then, to predict the path transitions and the corresponding rewards, we use deep neural networks to construct a Virtual Ensemble Environment (VEE), which gradually imitates the path transition model and predicts the rewards of path transitions that have not been taken yet. To determine the optimal path, we develop a Reinforcement Learning for Fuzzing (RLF) model to generate the transition sequences with the highest sequence rewards. The RLF model can combine historical and predicted path transitions to generate the optimal path transition sequences, along with the policy to guide the mutation strategy of fuzzing. Finally, to exercise the high-reward path transition sequence, we propose the concept of an action group, which comprehensively optimizes the critical steps of fuzzing to realize the optimal path to reach the target efficiently.


Agent-Based Exploration of Recommendation Systems in Misinformation Propagation

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

This study uses agent-based modeling to examine the impact of various recommendation algorithms on the propagation of misinformation on online social networks. We simulate a synthetic environment consisting of heterogeneous agents, including regular users, bots, and influencers, interacting through a social network with recommendation systems. We evaluate four recommendation strategies: popularity-based, collaborative filtering, and content-based filtering, along with a random baseline. Our results show that popularity-driven algorithms significantly amplify misinformation, while item-based collaborative filtering and content-based approaches are more effective in limiting exposure to fake content. Item-based collaborative filtering was found to perform better than previously reported in related literature. These findings highlight the role of algorithm design in shaping online information exposure and show that agent-based modeling can be used to gain realistic insight into how misinformation spreads.


"Teammates, Am I Clear?": Analysing Legible Behaviours in Teams

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

In this paper we investigate the notion of legibility in sequential decision-making in the context of teams and teamwork. There have been works that extend the notion of legibility to sequential decision making, for deterministic and for stochastic scenarios. However, these works focus on one agent interacting with one human, foregoing the benefits of having legible decision making in teams of agents or in team configurations with humans. In this work we propose an extension of legible decision-making to multi-agent settings that improves the performance of agents working in collaboration. We showcase the performance of legible decision making in team scenarios using our proposed extension in multi-agent benchmark scenarios. We show that a team with a legible agent is able to outperform a team composed solely of agents with standard optimal behaviour.


Finding Uncommon Ground: A Human-Centered Model for Extrospective Explanations

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

The need for explanations in AI has, by and large, been driven by the desire to increase the transparency of black-box machine learning models. However, such explanations, which focus on the internal mechanisms that lead to a specific output, are often unsuitable for non-experts. To facilitate a human-centered perspective on AI explanations, agents need to focus on individuals and their preferences as well as the context in which the explanations are given. This paper proposes a personalized approach to explanation, where the agent tailors the information provided to the user based on what is most likely pertinent to them. We propose a model of the agent's worldview that also serves as a personal and dynamic memory of its previous interactions with the same user, based on which the artificial agent can estimate what part of its knowledge is most likely new information to the user.


Evaluation and Benchmarking of LLM Agents: A Survey

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

The rise of LLM-based agents has opened new frontiers in AI applications, yet evaluating these agents remains a complex and underdeveloped area. This survey provides an in-depth overview of the emerging field of LLM agent evaluation, introducing a two-dimensional taxonomy that organizes existing work along (1) evaluation objectives -- what to evaluate, such as agent behavior, capabilities, reliability, and safety -- and (2) evaluation process -- how to evaluate, including interaction modes, datasets and benchmarks, metric computation methods, and tooling. In addition to taxonomy, we highlight enterprise-specific challenges, such as role-based access to data, the need for reliability guarantees, dynamic and long-horizon interactions, and compliance, which are often overlooked in current research. We also identify future research directions, including holistic, more realistic, and scalable evaluation. This work aims to bring clarity to the fragmented landscape of agent evaluation and provide a framework for systematic assessment, enabling researchers and practitioners to evaluate LLM agents for real-world deployment.


MAAD: Automate Software Architecture Design through Knowledge-Driven Multi-Agent Collaboration

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Software architecture design is a critical, yet inherently complex and knowledge-intensive phase of software development. It requires deep domain expertise, development experience, architectural knowledge, careful trade-offs among competing quality attributes, and the ability to adapt to evolving requirements. Traditionally, this process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and relies heavily on architects, often resulting in limited design alternatives, especially under the pressures of agile development. While Large Language Model (LLM)-based agents have shown promising performance across various SE tasks, their application to architecture design remains relatively scarce and requires more exploration, particularly in light of diverse domain knowledge and complex decision-making. To address the challenges, we proposed MAAD (Multi-Agent Architecture Design), an automated framework that employs a knowledge-driven Multi-Agent System (MAS) for architecture design. MAAD orchestrates four specialized agents (i.e., Analyst, Modeler, Designer and Evaluator) to collaboratively interpret requirements specifications and produce architectural blueprints enriched with quality attributes-based evaluation reports. We then evaluated MAAD through a case study and comparative experiments against MetaGPT, a state-of-the-art MAS baseline. Our results show that MAAD's superiority lies in generating comprehensive architectural components and delivering insightful and structured architecture evaluation reports. Feedback from industrial architects across 11 requirements specifications further reinforces MAAD's practical usability. We finally explored the performance of the MAAD framework with three LLMs (GPT-4o, DeepSeek-R1, and Llama 3.3) and found that GPT-4o exhibits better performance in producing architecture design, emphasizing the importance of LLM selection in MAS-driven architecture design.


Replicating the behaviour of electric vehicle drivers using an agent-based reinforcement learning model

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence

Despite the rapid expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging networks, questions remain about their efficiency in meeting the growing needs of EV drivers. Previous simulation-based approaches, which rely on static behavioural rules, have struggled to capture the adaptive behaviours of human drivers. Although reinforcement learning has been introduced in EV simulation studies, its application has primarily focused on optimising fleet operations rather than modelling private drivers who make independent charging decisions. Additionally, long-distance travel remains a primary concern for EV drivers. However, existing simulation studies rarely explore charging behaviour over large geographical scales. To address these gaps, we propose a multi-stage reinforcement learning framework that simulates EV charging demand across large geographical areas. We validate the model against real-world data, and identify the training stage that most closely reflects actual driver behaviour, which captures both the adaptive behaviours and bounded rationality of private drivers. Based on the simulation results, we also identify critical 'charging deserts' where EV drivers consistently have low state of charge. Our findings also highlight recent policy shifts toward expanding rapid charging hubs along motorway corridors and city boundaries to meet the demand from long-distance trips.