# Stackelberg Punishment and Bully-Proofing Autonomous Vehicles

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.08641 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1908.08641/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 23 Aug 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Optimal Private Payoff Manipulation against Commitment in Extensive-form Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.13119/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Mutually beneficial behavior in repeated games can be enforced via the threat of punishment, as enshrined in game theory's well-known "folk theorem." There is a cost, however, to a player for generating these disincentives. In this work, we seek to minimize this cost by computing a "Stackelberg punishment," in which the player selects a behavior that sufficiently punishes the other player while maximizing its own score under the assumption that the other player will adopt a best response. This idea generalizes the concept of a Stackelberg equilibrium. Known efficient algorithms for computing a Stackelberg equilibrium can be adapted to efficiently produce a Stackelberg punishment. We demonstrate an application of this idea in an experiment involving a virtual autonomous vehicle and human participants. We find that a self-driving car with a Stackelberg punishment policy discourages human drivers from bullying in a driving scenario requiring social negotiation.