大模型常过度依赖外部工具,本文揭示原因并提出改进方法。
The Tool-Overuse Illusion: Why Does LLM Prefer External Tools over Internal Knowledge?

- 发现模型误判自身知识边界,导致盲目调用工具
- 通过优化奖励机制,减少70%以上不必要的工具调用
- 适合关注大模型推理效率与可靠性的研究者
为弥补内部推理缺陷,给大模型配备外部工具虽有效,但引入了关键却未被充分研究的现象:工具过载,即在无需使用工具时仍频繁调用。本文首次揭示该现象在多种大模型中普遍存在。通过两个关键视角分析其机制:(1)分析不同内部知识可用性区域的工具使用行为,发现模型存在‘知识认知幻觉’,无法准确判断自身知识范围;为此提出基于直接偏好优化的知识感知认知边界对齐策略,使工具使用减少82.8%,同时提升准确率。(2)通过可视化工具增强训练过程,建立奖励结构与工具使用行为的因果关系,发现仅奖励最终正确结果的‘结果导向奖励’会无意鼓励工具过载;通过平衡训练中的奖励信号,而非仅依赖结果奖励,在7B和32B模型上分别将非必要工具调用减少66.7%和60.7%,且不牺牲准确性。最后,从两方面提供理论解释以理解工具过载现象。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Equipping LLMs with external tools effectively addresses internal reasoning limitations. However, it introduces a critical yet under-explored phenomenon: tool overuse, the unnecessary tool-use during reasoning. In this paper, we first reveal this phenomenon is pervasive across diverse LLMs. We then experimentally elucidate its underlying mechanisms through two key lenses: (1) First, by analyzing tool-use behavior across different internal knowledge availability regions, we identify a \textit{knowledge epistemic illusion}: models misjudge internal knowledge boundaries and fail to accurately perceive their actual knowledge availability. To mitigate this, we propose a knowledge-aware epistemic boundary alignment strategy based on direct preference optimization, which reduces tool usage in by 82.8\% while yielding an accuracy improvement. (2) Second, we establish a causal link between reward structures and tool-use behavior by visualizing the tool-augmented training process. It reveals that \textit{outcome-only rewards} inadvertently encourage tool overuse by rewarding only final correctness, regardless of tool efficiency. To verify this, we balance reward signals during training rather than relying on outcome-only rewards, cutting unnecessary tool calls by 66.7\% (7B) and 60.7\% (32B) without sacrificing accuracy. Finally, we provide theoretical justification in this two lenses to understand tool overuse.
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