mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

S3: Social-network Simulation System with Large Language Model-Empowered Agents

arXiv 2307.14984 ↗First posted 27 Jul 2023cs.SIcited by 228

On the map: World models → World models for language agents

Abstract (arXiv)

Social network simulation plays a crucial role in addressing various challenges within social science. It offers extensive applications such as state prediction, phenomena explanation, and policy-making support, among others. In this work, we harness the formidable human-like capabilities exhibited by large language models (LLMs) in sensing, reasoning, and behaving, and utilize these qualities to construct the S3 system (short for Social network Simulation System). Adhering to the widely employed agent-based simulation paradigm, we employ prompt engineering and prompt tuning techniques to ensure that the agent's behavior closely emulates that of a genuine human within the social network. Specifically, we simulate three pivotal aspects: emotion, attitude, and interaction behaviors. By endowing the agent in the system with the ability to perceive the informational environment and emulate human actions, we observe the emergence of population-level phenomena, including the propagation of information, attitudes, and emotions. We conduct an evaluation encompassing two levels of simulation, employing real-world social network data. Encouragingly, the results demonstrate promising accuracy. This work represents an initial step in the realm of social network simulation empowered by LLM-based agents. We anticipate that our endeavors will serve as a source of inspiration for the development of simulation systems within, but not limited to, social science.

Key facts. Cited by 228 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in World models for language agents, one of 11 directions in World models. Builds on 3 of its 44 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 27 Jul 2023.

Builds on

3 of 44 references.

Closest ancestors · 2

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior7 Apr
  2. 2020Language Models are Few-Shot Learners28 May

Other references · 1

  1. 2023LLaMA: Open and Efficient Foundation Language Modelscited by 13,958

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2023: 22; 2024: 61; 2025: 87; 2026: 58.

228 papers.

Sort:

By area:

  1. 2023A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agentscited by 2,203
  2. 2023The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Surveycited by 1,422
  3. 2024Large Language Model based Multi-Agents: A Survey of Progress and Challengescited by 752
  4. 2024A Survey on the Memory Mechanism of Large Language Model based Agentscited by 622
  5. 2023Cognitive Architectures for Language Agentscited by 422
  6. 2025Memory in the Age of AI Agentscited by 285
  7. 2023Large Language Models Empowered Agent-based Modeling and Simulation: A Survey and Perspectivescited by 253
  8. 2024Agent Hospital: A Simulacrum of Hospital with Evolvable Medical Agentscited by 210
  9. 2025Large Language Model Agent: A Survey on Methodology, Applications and Challengescited by 194
  10. 2025AgentSociety: Large-Scale Simulation of LLM-Driven Generative Agents Advances Understanding of Human Behaviors and Societycited by 180
  11. 2024Understanding World or Predicting Future? A Comprehensive Survey of World Modelscited by 161
  12. 2023Language Agents with Reinforcement Learning for Strategic Play in the Werewolf Gamecited by 148
38 more
  1. 2024CharacterEval: A Chinese Benchmark for Role-Playing Conversational Agent Evaluationcited by 139
  2. 2024Exploring Large Language Model based Intelligent Agents: Definitions, Methods, and Prospectscited by 130
  3. 2024OASIS: Open Agent Social Interaction Simulations with One Million Agentscited by 127
  4. 2025Advances and Challenges in Foundation Agents: From Brain-Inspired Intelligence to Evolutionary, Collaborative, and Safe Systemscited by 125
  5. 2024AI Agents Under Threat: A Survey of Key Security Challenges and Future Pathwayscited by 122
  6. 2024Hello Again! LLM-powered Personalized Agent for Long-term Dialoguecited by 121
  7. 2025A Survey of Context Engineering for Large Language Modelscited by 120
  8. 2025Red-Teaming LLM Multi-Agent Systems via Communication Attackscited by 118
  9. 2023AgentCF: Collaborative Learning with Autonomous Language Agents for Recommender Systemscited by 116
  10. 2025G-Memory: Tracing Hierarchical Memory for Multi-Agent Systemscited by 112
  11. 2025Agentic Large Language Models, a surveycited by 105
  12. 2023On Generative Agents in Recommendationcited by 88
  13. 2024From Individual to Society: A Survey on Social Simulation Driven by Large Language Model-based Agentscited by 76
  14. 2023CompeteAI: Understanding the Competition Dynamics in Large Language Model-based Agentscited by 65
  15. 2023LLM-Based Agent Society Investigation: Collaboration and Confrontation in Avalon Gameplaycited by 62
  16. 2024Large Language Model Agent for Hyper-Parameter Optimizationcited by 62
  17. 2024A Survey on LLM-based Multi-Agent System: Recent Advances and New Frontiers in Applicationcited by 54
  18. 2023Stance Detection with Collaborative Role-Infused LLM-Based Agentscited by 53
  19. 2023Do LLM Agents Exhibit Social Behavior?cited by 53
  20. 2025SocioVerse: A World Model for Social Simulation Powered by LLM Agents and A Pool of 10 Million Real-World Userscited by 50
  21. 2023Lyfe Agents: Generative agents for low-cost real-time social interactionscited by 49
  22. 2023LLM-Powered Hierarchical Language Agent for Real-time Human-AI Coordinationcited by 48
  23. 2024SocialBench: Sociality Evaluation of Role-Playing Conversational Agentscited by 48
  24. 2024Project Sid: Many-agent simulations toward AI civilizationcited by 46
  25. 2024Evaluating Large Language Models as Generative User Simulators for Conversational Recommendationcited by 45
  26. 2023Digital Life Project: Autonomous 3D Characters with Social Intelligencecited by 43
  27. 2024Y Social: an LLM-powered Social Media Digital Twincited by 43
  28. 2024EduAgent: Generative Student Agents in Learningcited by 41
  29. 2026A Survey of Agent Memory in the Second Half: Towards Self-Evolving and Long-Horizon Agentscited by 40
  30. 2024KARMA: Augmenting Embodied AI Agents with Long-and-short Term Memory Systemscited by 38
  31. 2023Urban Generative Intelligence (UGI): A Foundational Platform for Agents in Embodied City Environmentcited by 37
  32. 2023Disentangled Representation Learning with Large Language Models for Text-Attributed Graphscited by 36
  33. 2024OpenCity: A Scalable Platform to Simulate Urban Activities with Massive LLM Agentscited by 35
  34. 2024ResearchTown: Simulator of Human Research Communitycited by 35
  35. 2025Agent4Edu: Generating Learner Response Data by Generative Agents for Intelligent Education Systemscited by 32
  36. 2024LLMs generate structurally realistic social networks but overestimate political homophilycited by 31
  37. 2025Actions Speak Louder than Words: Agent Decisions Reveal Implicit Biases in Language Modelscited by 30
  38. 2024Network Formation and Dynamics Among Multi-LLMscited by 28

50 most cited of 228 All 228 (JSON)

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2025Don't Trust Generative Agents to Mimic Communication on Social Networks Unless You Benchmarked their Empirical Realism
  2. 2024Sense and Sensitivity: Evaluating the simulation of social dynamics via Large Language Models
  3. 2025Learning to Make Friends: Coaching LLM Agents toward Emergent Social Ties
  4. 2026Social Simulations: from Agent-Based Modeling to Digital Twins
  5. 2024LLM-Augmented Agent-Based Modelling for Social Simulations: Challenges and Opportunities
  6. 2024GenSim: A General Social Simulation Platform with Large Language Model based Agents
  7. 2024Shall We Team Up: Exploring Spontaneous Cooperation of Competing LLM Agents
  8. 2025EcoLANG: Efficient and Effective Agent Communication Language Induction for Social Simulation