# An In-depth Survey of Large Language Model-based Artificial Intelligence Agents

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.14365 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.14365/

## Key facts

- Cited by 31 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 76 of its 110 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 23 Sep 2023.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 76)

- [Learning Transferable Visual Models From Natural Language Supervision](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.00020/) (2021)
- [Language Models are Few-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14165/) (2020)
- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Training Verifiers to Solve Math Word Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.14168/) (2021)
- [ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03629/) (2022)
- [Large Language Models are Zero-Shot Reasoners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.11916/) (2022)
- [Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Tools](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.04761/) (2023)
- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [Playing Atari with Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1312.5602/) (2013)
- [Tree of Thoughts: Deliberate Problem Solving with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.10601/) (2023)
- [Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.07682/) (2022)
- [Voyager: An Open-Ended Embodied Agent with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.16291/) (2023)
- [Language Models as Knowledge Bases?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1909.01066/) (2019)
- [WebGPT: Browser-assisted question-answering with human feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.09332/) (2021)
- [Gorilla: Large Language Model Connected with Massive APIs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.15334/) (2023)
- [LLaVA-Med: Training a Large Language-and-Vision Assistant for Biomedicine in One Day](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.00890/) (2023)
- [LaMDA: Language Models for Dialog Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.08239/) (2022)
- [HuggingGPT: Solving AI Tasks with ChatGPT and its Friends in Hugging Face](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17580/) (2023)
- [Dota 2 with Large Scale Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.06680/) (2019)
- [Inner Monologue: Embodied Reasoning through Planning with Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.05608/) (2022)
- [Language Models as Zero-Shot Planners: Extracting Actionable Knowledge for Embodied Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.07207/) (2022)
- [A Primer in BERTology: What we know about how BERT works](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.12327/) (2020)
- [Automatic Chain of Thought Prompting in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03493/) (2022)
- [ChemCrow: Augmenting large-language models with chemistry tools](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.05376/) (2023)
- [ProgPrompt: Generating Situated Robot Task Plans using Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.11302/) (2022)
- [Towards Reasoning in Large Language Models: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.10403/) (2022)
- [Plan-and-Solve Prompting: Improving Zero-Shot Chain-of-Thought Reasoning by Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.04091/) (2023)
- [MemoryBank: Enhancing Large Language Models with Long-Term Memory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.10250/) (2023)
- [LLM+P: Empowering Large Language Models with Optimal Planning Proficiency](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.11477/) (2023)
- [A Brief Survey of Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1708.05866/) (2017)

## Built on by (most cited first, 30 of 31)

- [A Survey on the Memory Mechanism of Large Language Model based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.13501/) (2024)
- [Large Language Model Agent: A Survey on Methodology, Applications and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.21460/) (2025)
- [Large Language Model-Brained GUI Agents: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.18279/) (2024)
- [InfiAgent-DABench: Evaluating Agents on Data Analysis Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.05507/) (2024)
- [A Survey of Context Engineering for Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.13334/) (2025)
- [GUI Agents: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.13501/) (2024)
- [If LLM Is the Wizard, Then Code Is the Wand: A Survey on How Code Empowers Large Language Models to Serve as Intelligent Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.00812/) (2024)
- [MedRAX: Medical Reasoning Agent for Chest X-ray](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.02673/) (2025)
- [Agentic AI: A Comprehensive Survey of Architectures, Applications, and Future Directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.25445/) (2025)
- [Do Large Language Models Solve the Problems of Agent-Based Modeling? A Critical Review of Generative Social Simulations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.03274/) (2025)
- [LLMind: Orchestrating AI and IoT with LLM for Complex Task Execution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.09007/) (2023)
- [AI Meets Brain: Memory Systems from Cognitive Neuroscience to Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.23343/) (2025)
- [MemSyco-Bench: Benchmarking Sycophancy in Agent Memory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.01071/) (2026)
- [Cohesive Conversations: Enhancing Authenticity in Multi-Agent Simulated Dialogues](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.09897/) (2024)
- [Agent Safety Alignment via Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.08270/) (2025)
- [SEM: Reinforcement Learning for Search-Efficient Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.07903/) (2025)
- [Levels of AI Agents: from Rules to Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.06643/) (2024)
- [On the Workflows and Smells of Leaderboard Operations (LBOps): An Exploratory Study of Foundation Model Leaderboards](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.04065/) (2024)
- [From Chatbot to Digital Colleague: The Paradigm Shift Toward Persistent Autonomous AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.14502/) (2026)
- [Bias-Aware Agent: Enhancing Fairness in AI-Driven Knowledge Retrieval](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.21237/) (2025)
- [Context-aware LLM-based AI Agents for Human-centered Energy Management Systems in Smart Buildings](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.25055/) (2025)
- [Leveraging a Multi-Agent LLM-Based System to Educate Teachers in Hate Incidents Management](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.23774/) (2025)
- [Exploring Agentic Artificial Intelligence Systems: Towards a Typological Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.00844/) (2025)
- [OracleAgent: A Multimodal Reasoning Agent for Oracle Bone Script Research](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.26114/) (2025)
- [The Tyranny of Possibilities in the Design of Task-Oriented LLM Systems: A Scoping Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.17601/) (2023)
- [GAI: Generative Agents for Innovation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.18899/) (2024)
- [Agentic AI in Healthcare & Medicine: A Seven-Dimensional Taxonomy for Empirical Evaluation of LLM-based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.04813/) (2026)
- [LLM-as-an-Investigator: Evidence-First Reasoning for Robust Interactive Problem Diagnosis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.13220/) (2026)
- [What Guides the Agent? Adjudicating Unauthorized Behavior via Localizing Behavior-Guiding Instructions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.24022/) (2026)
- [Intelligent Assistants for the Semiconductor Failure Analysis with LLM-Based Planning Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.15567/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Due to the powerful capabilities demonstrated by large language model (LLM), there has been a recent surge in efforts to integrate them with AI agents to enhance their performance. In this paper, we have explored the core differences and characteristics between LLM-based AI agents and traditional AI agents. Specifically, we first compare the fundamental characteristics of these two types of agents, clarifying the significant advantages of LLM-based agents in handling natural language, knowledge storage, and reasoning capabilities. Subsequently, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the key components of AI agents, including planning, memory, and tool use. Particularly, for the crucial component of memory, this paper introduced an innovative classification scheme, not only departing from traditional classification methods but also providing a fresh perspective on the design of an AI agent's memory system. We firmly believe that in-depth research and understanding of these core components will lay a solid foundation for the future advancement of AI agent technology. At the end of the paper, we provide directional suggestions for further research in this field, with the hope of offering valuable insights to scholars and researchers in the field.