LLM代理在纽约模拟中学会骗人与信任,暴露了安全与效率的矛盾。
CONSCIENTIA: Can LLM Agents Learn to Strategize? Emergent Deception and Trust in a Multi-Agent NYC Simulation

- 用博弈机制让蓝红代理互相诱导,观察策略行为演化
- 蓝方成功率从46.0%提升至57.3%,但仍70.7%易被误导
- 适合研究智能体对齐、社会欺骗与安全防御的学者
随着大语言模型作为自主代理的应用增多,理解多智能体环境中策略行为的涌现成为重要的对齐挑战。我们以中立实证立场构建了一个可控环境,可直接观测和测量策略行为。引入一个简化的纽约市大规模多智能体仿真,其中由LLM驱动的代理在对立激励下互动:蓝色代理目标是高效抵达目的地,红色代理则通过有说服力的语言引导其走向广告牌密集路线,以最大化广告收入。隐藏身份使导航具有社会属性,迫使代理在信任或欺骗间抉择。通过迭代模拟流程,利用卡尼曼-特沃斯基优化(KTO)更新代理策略。蓝方优化目标为减少广告曝光同时保持导航效率,红方则适应性地利用残余弱点进行攻击。经过多轮迭代,最优蓝方策略将任务成功率从46.0%提升至57.3%,但易受干扰率仍高达70.7%。后期策略展现出更强的选择性合作能力,同时保持轨迹效率。然而,安全与帮助性的权衡依然存在:更抗诱导的策略并未同时实现最高任务完成率。总体表明,LLM代理虽能表现出有限的策略行为(如选择性信任与欺骗),但仍极易受到对抗性诱导。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
As large language models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed as autonomous agents, understanding how strategic behavior emerges in multi-agent environments has become an important alignment challenge. We take a neutral empirical stance and construct a controlled environment in which strategic behavior can be directly observed and measured. We introduce a large-scale multi-agent simulation in a simplified model of New York City, where LLM-driven agents interact under opposing incentives. Blue agents aim to reach their destinations efficiently, while Red agents attempt to divert them toward billboard-heavy routes using persuasive language to maximize advertising revenue. Hidden identities make navigation socially mediated, forcing agents to decide when to trust or deceive. We study policy learning through an iterative simulation pipeline that updates agent policies across repeated interaction rounds using Kahneman-Tversky Optimization (KTO). Blue agents are optimized to reduce billboard exposure while preserving navigation efficiency, whereas Red agents adapt to exploit remaining weaknesses. Across iterations, the best Blue policy improves task success from 46.0% to 57.3%, although susceptibility remains high at 70.7%. Later policies exhibit stronger selective cooperation while preserving trajectory efficiency. However, a persistent safety-helpfulness trade-off remains: policies that better resist adversarial steering do not simultaneously maximize task completion. Overall, our results show that LLM agents can exhibit limited strategic behavior, including selective trust and deception, while remaining highly vulnerable to adversarial persuasion.
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