mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

CompeteAI: Understanding the Competition Dynamics in Large Language Model-based Agents

arXiv 2310.17512 ↗First posted 26 Oct 2023cs.AI cs.CL cs.HCcited by 65

On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Social simulation and multi-agent debate

Abstract (arXiv)

Large language models (LLMs) have been widely used as agents to complete different tasks, such as personal assistance or event planning. While most of the work has focused on cooperation and collaboration between agents, little work explores competition, another important mechanism that promotes the development of society and economy. In this paper, we seek to examine the competition dynamics in LLM-based agents. We first propose a general framework for studying the competition between agents. Then, we implement a practical competitive environment using GPT-4 to simulate a virtual town with two types of agents, restaurant agents and customer agents. Specifically, the restaurant agents compete with each other to attract more customers, where competition encourages them to transform, such as cultivating new operating strategies. Simulation experiments reveal several interesting findings at the micro and macro levels, which align well with existing market and sociological theories. We hope that the framework and environment can be a promising testbed to study competition that fosters understanding of society. Code is available at: https://github.com/microsoft/competeai.

Key facts. Cited by 65 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Social simulation and multi-agent debate, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 14 of its 46 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 26 Oct 2023.

Builds on

14 of 46 references.

Closest ancestors · 3

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023EconAgent: Large Language Model-Empowered Agents for Simulating Macroeconomic Activities16 Oct
  2. 2023Exploring Collaboration Mechanisms for LLM Agents: A Social Psychology View3 Oct
  3. 2023Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior7 Apr

Other references · 11

  1. 2023The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Surveycited by 1,439
  2. 2022GLM-130B: An Open Bilingual Pre-trained Modelcited by 843
  3. 2022Out of One, Many: Using Language Models to Simulate Human Samplescited by 752
  4. 2023Can Large Language Models Transform Computational Social Science?cited by 250
  5. 2023S3: Social-network Simulation System with Large Language Model-Empowered Agentscited by 233
  6. 2023Playing repeated games with Large Language Modelscited by 217
  7. 2020Open Problems in Cooperative AIcited by 168
  8. 2023Cooperation, Competition, and Maliciousness: LLM-Stakeholders Interactive Negotiationcited by 96
  9. 2023Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Evaluating Strategic Planning and Execution of LLM Agents in an Auction Arenacited by 78
  10. 2023Simulating Social Media Using Large Language Models to Evaluate Alternative News Feed Algorithmscited by 65
  11. 2021The Challenge of Value Alignment: from Fairer Algorithms to AI Safetycited by 35

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Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 17; 2025: 35; 2026: 13.

65 papers.

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  1. 2025Multi-Agent Collaboration Mechanisms: A Survey of LLMscited by 431
  2. 2025Large Language Model Agent: A Survey on Methodology, Applications and Challengescited by 205
  3. 2024From Individual to Society: A Survey on Social Simulation Driven by Large Language Model-based Agentscited by 82
  4. 2024A Survey on LLM-based Multi-Agent System: Recent Advances and New Frontiers in Applicationcited by 55
  5. 2024Project Sid: Many-agent simulations toward AI civilizationcited by 49
  6. 2024Do LLM Agents Have Regret? A Case Study in Online Learning and Gamescited by 35
  7. 2025PersonaX: A Recommendation Agent Oriented User Modeling Framework for Long Behavior Sequencecited by 33
  8. 2024Cultural Evolution of Cooperation among LLM Agentscited by 32
  9. 2025From Language to Action: A Review of Large Language Models as Autonomous Agents and Tool Userscited by 32
  10. 2025When One LLM Drools, Multi-LLM Collaboration Rulescited by 28
  11. 2024Model Swarms: Collaborative Search to Adapt LLM Experts via Swarm Intelligencecited by 27
  12. 2024A Survey on Large Language Model-Based Social Agents in Game-Theoretic Scenarioscited by 23
38 more
  1. 2025Heterogeneous Swarms: Jointly Optimizing Model Roles and Weights for Multi-LLM Systemscited by 23
  2. 2024K-Level Reasoning: Establishing Higher Order Beliefs in Large Language Models for Strategic Reasoningcited by 21
  3. 2025The Coming Crisis of Multi-Agent Misalignment: AI Alignment Must Be a Dynamic and Social Processcited by 21
  4. 2024GLEE: A Unified Framework and Benchmark for Language-based Economic Environmentscited by 20
  5. 2025Learning to Deliberate: Meta-policy Collaboration for Agentic LLMs with Multi-agent Reinforcement Learningcited by 18
  6. 2024A Survey on Human-Centric LLMscited by 13
  7. 2024A Human-Like Reasoning Framework for Multi-Phases Planning Task with Large Language Modelscited by 12
  8. 2024Can LLM-Augmented autonomous agents cooperate?, An evaluation of their cooperative capabilities through Melting Potcited by 11
  9. 2024Are LLMs Socially Adaptive? Contrasting Belief Evolution in Large Language Models and Humanscited by 11
  10. 2025Can Generative AI agents behave like humans? Evidence from laboratory market experimentscited by 10
  11. 2025Beyond Static Responses: Multi-Agent LLM Systems as a New Paradigm for Social Science Researchcited by 10
  12. 2025Don't Throw Away Your Pretrained Modelcited by 10
  13. 2026Token-Level LLM Collaboration via FusionRoutecited by 9
  14. 2025Long Context Scaling: Divide and Conquer via Multi-Agent Question-driven Collaborationcited by 7
  15. 2025HARBOR: Exploring Persona Dynamics in Multi-Agent Competitioncited by 6
  16. 2025AI Agent Behavioral Sciencecited by 6
  17. 2024Enhancing Language Model Rationality with Bi-Directional Deliberation Reasoningcited by 5
  18. 2024CreDes: Causal Reasoning Enhancement and Dual-End Searching for Solving Long-Range Reasoning Problems using LLMscited by 5
  19. 2024Large Language Models can Achieve Social Balancecited by 5
  20. 2025Synthesizing Public Opinions with LLMs: Role Creation, Impacts, and the Future to eDemorcacycited by 5
  21. 2025Topological Structure Learning Should Be A Research Priority for LLM-Based Multi-Agent Systemscited by 5
  22. 2025Multi-level Value Alignment in Agentic AI Systems: Survey and Perspectivescited by 5
  23. 2025InfoBid: A Simulation Framework for Studying Information Disclosure in Auctions with Large Language Model-based Agentscited by 4
  24. 2025MAPLE: Multi-Agent Adaptive Planning with Long-Term Memory for Table Reasoningcited by 4
  25. 2025Are LLM Agents Behaviorally Coherent? Latent Profiles for Social Simulationcited by 4
  26. 2025Simulating Human-Like Learning Dynamics with LLM-Empowered Agentscited by 3
  27. 2025Simulating and Experimenting with Social Media Mobilization Using LLM Agentscited by 3
  28. 2025Can Competition Enhance the Proficiency of Agents Powered by Large Language Models in the Realm of News-driven Time Series Forecasting?cited by 2
  29. 2025Divide by Question, Conquer by Agent: SPLIT-RAG with Question-Driven Graph Partitioningcited by 2
  30. 2025MASTER: Enhancing Large Language Model via Multi-Agent Simulated Teachingcited by 2
  31. 2025Computational Multi-Agents Society Experiments: Social Modeling Framework Based on Generative Agentscited by 2
  32. 2025Prompts to Proxies: Emulating Human Preferences via a Compact LLM Ensemblecited by 2
  33. 2025CompanionCast: Toward Social Collaboration with Multi-Agent Systems in Shared Experiencescited by 2
  34. 2026Beyond Preset Identities: How Agents Form Stances and Boundaries in Generative Societiescited by 2
  35. 2024Intelligent Computing Social Modeling and Methodological Innovations in Political Science in the Era of Large Language Modelscited by 1
  36. 2025TaxAgent: How Large Language Model Designs Fiscal Policycited by 1
  37. 2025Psychologically Enhanced AI Agentscited by 1
  38. 2025Beyond Playtesting: A Generative Multi-Agent Simulation System for Massively Multiplayer Online Gamescited by 1

50 most cited of 65 All 65 (JSON)

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  1. 2026Competition and Cooperation of LLM Agents in Games
  2. 2024Shall We Team Up: Exploring Spontaneous Cooperation of Competing LLM Agents
  3. 2024Transforming Competition into Collaboration: The Revolutionary Role of Multi-Agent Systems and Language Models in Modern Organizations
  4. 2025Evolution of Cooperation in LLM-Agent Societies: A Preliminary Study Using Different Punishment Strategies
  5. 2025Playing games with Large language models: Randomness and strategy
  6. 2025Investigating and Extending Homans' Social Exchange Theory with Large Language Model based Agents
  7. 2026CoffeeBench: Benchmarking Long-Horizon LLM Agents in Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Economies
  8. 2025Exploring Large Language Model Agents for Piloting Social Experiments