arXiv:2604.08963cs.MAcs.AI2026-04中稿 · ICLR被引 3

研究多智能体系统如何放大偏见,发现结构越复杂反而越易导致系统性偏见。

Aligned Agents, Biased Swarm: Measuring Bias Amplification in Multi-Agent Systems

论文配图:Aligned Agents, Biased Swarm: Measuring Bias Amplification in Multi-Agent Systems
图 1 · 摘自论文原文
  • 设计开放评估基准,通过跨群体对比判断来检测偏见演化
  • 发现中立智能体在特定结构下仍会引发系统性偏见放大
  • 揭示客观上下文注入可能触发加速极化的'触发脆弱性'

尽管多智能体系统(MAS)越来越多地应用于复杂工作流,其涌现特性——尤其是偏见累积——仍缺乏深入理解。由于真实世界的MAS过于复杂难以全面分析,评估其伦理鲁棒性需先剥离基础机制。本文开展基准实证研究,探究基本拓扑结构与反馈回路如何影响偏见。与普遍认为多智能体协作可稀释偏见的假设相反,我们提出:结构化工作流会形成回声室,将微小随机偏见放大为系统性极化。为此,我们引入Discrim-Eval-Open,一个开放式基准,通过强制跨群体比较判断规避个体模型中立性假设。分析多种结构中的偏见级联现象发现,架构复杂度常加剧而非缓解偏见。即使孤立智能体运行中立,仍观察到系统性放大;并识别出‘触发脆弱性’——注入纯客观上下文会显著加速极化。通过简化群体复杂性以研究基础动态,我们建立关键基线:结构复杂度不保证伦理鲁棒性。代码已开源:https://github.com/weizhihao1/MAS-Bias。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

While Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) are increasingly deployed for complex workflows, their emergent properties-particularly the accumulation of bias-remain poorly understood. Because real-world MAS are too complex to analyze entirely, evaluating their ethical robustness requires first isolating their foundational mechanics. In this work, we conduct a baseline empirical study investigating how basic MAS topologies and feedback loops influence prejudice. Contrary to the assumption that multi-agent collaboration naturally dilutes bias, we hypothesize that structured workflows act as echo chambers, amplifying minor stochastic biases into systemic polarization. To evaluate this, we introduce Discrim-Eval-Open, an open-ended benchmark that bypasses individual model neutrality through forced comparative judgments across demographic groups. Analyzing bias cascades across various structures reveals that architectural sophistication frequently exacerbates bias rather than mitigating it. We observe systemic amplification even when isolated agents operate neutrally, and identify a 'Trigger Vulnerability' where injecting purely objective context drastically accelerates polarization. By stripping away advanced swarm complexity to study foundational dynamics, we establish a crucial baseline: structural complexity does not guarantee ethical robustness. Our code is available at https://github.com/weizhihao1/MAS-Bias.

多智能体偏见放大伦理评估

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