mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

War and Peace (WarAgent): Large Language Model-based Multi-Agent Simulation of World Wars

arXiv 2311.17227 ↗First posted 28 Nov 2023cs.AI cs.CL cs.CYcited by 145

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

Abstract (arXiv)

Can we avoid wars at the crossroads of history? This question has been pursued by individuals, scholars, policymakers, and organizations throughout human history. In this research, we attempt to answer the question based on the recent advances of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs). We propose WarAgent, an LLM-powered multi-agent AI system, to simulate the participating countries, their decisions, and the consequences, in historical international conflicts, including the World War I (WWI), the World War II (WWII), and the Warring States Period (WSP) in Ancient China. By evaluating the simulation effectiveness, we examine the advancements and limitations of cutting-edge AI systems' abilities in studying complex collective human behaviors such as international conflicts under diverse settings. In these simulations, the emergent interactions among agents also offer a novel perspective for examining the triggers and conditions that lead to war. Our findings offer data-driven and AI-augmented insights that can redefine how we approach conflict resolution and peacekeeping strategies. The implications stretch beyond historical analysis, offering a blueprint for using AI to understand human history and possibly prevent future international conflicts. Code and data are available at urlhttps://github.com/agiresearch/WarAgent.

Key facts. Cited by 145 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 12 of its 72 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 28 Nov 2023.

Builds on

12 of 72 references.

Closest ancestors · 2

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023Encouraging Divergent Thinking in Large Language Models through Multi-Agent Debate30 May
  2. 2023Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior7 Apr

Other references · 10

  1. 2020Language Models are Few-Shot Learnerscited by 32,419
  2. 2023Lost in the Middle: How Language Models Use Long Contextscited by 3,455
  3. 2023MetaGPT: Meta Programming for A Multi-Agent Collaborative Frameworkcited by 1,808
  4. 2023AgentVerse: Facilitating Multi-Agent Collaboration and Exploring Emergent Behaviorscited by 598
  5. 2023Exploring Large Language Models for Communication Games: An Empirical Study on Werewolfcited by 241
  6. 2023Improving Language Model Negotiation with Self-Play and In-Context Learning from AI Feedbackcited by 207
  7. 2023OpenAGI: When LLM Meets Domain Expertscited by 197
  8. 2023BOLAA: Benchmarking and Orchestrating LLM-augmented Autonomous Agentscited by 84
  9. 2023Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Evaluating Strategic Planning and Execution of LLM Agents in an Auction Arenacited by 78
  10. 2023Can You Follow Me? Testing Situational Understanding in ChatGPTcited by 4

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Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2023: 5; 2024: 66; 2025: 50; 2026: 24.

145 papers.

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  1. 2024Large Language Model based Multi-Agents: A Survey of Progress and Challengescited by 769
  2. 2024A Survey on the Memory Mechanism of Large Language Model based Agentscited by 634
  3. 2023Large Language Models Empowered Agent-based Modeling and Simulation: A Survey and Perspectivescited by 257
  4. 2024Scaling Large Language Model-based Multi-Agent Collaborationcited by 241
  5. 2024Agent Hospital: A Simulacrum of Hospital with Evolvable Medical Agentscited by 218
  6. 2024From Persona to Personalization: A Survey on Role-Playing Language Agentscited by 212
  7. 2024Chain of Agents: Large Language Models Collaborating on Long-Context Taskscited by 206
  8. 2025MultiAgentBench: Evaluating the Collaboration and Competition of LLM agentscited by 178
  9. 2024Prompt Infection: LLM-to-LLM Prompt Injection within Multi-Agent Systemscited by 133
  10. 2025Advances and Challenges in Foundation Agents: From Brain-Inspired Intelligence to Evolutionary, Collaborative, and Safe Systemscited by 126
  11. 2024Cooperate or Collapse: Emergence of Sustainable Cooperation in a Society of LLM Agentscited by 125
  12. 2024Hello Again! LLM-powered Personalized Agent for Long-term Dialoguecited by 123
38 more
  1. 2024G-Designer: Architecting Multi-agent Communication Topologies via Graph Neural Networkscited by 119
  2. 2024A Survey on Large Language Model-Based Game Agentscited by 112
  3. 2025Multi-Agent Collaboration via Evolving Orchestrationcited by 108
  4. 2024LLM as a Mastermind: A Survey of Strategic Reasoning with Large Language Modelscited by 99
  5. 2024AIOS: LLM Agent Operating Systemcited by 97
  6. 2024Flooding Spread of Manipulated Knowledge in LLM-Based Multi-Agent Communitiescited by 86
  7. 2024From Individual to Society: A Survey on Social Simulation Driven by Large Language Model-based Agentscited by 82
  8. 2023NPHardEval: Dynamic Benchmark on Reasoning Ability of Large Language Models via Complexity Classescited by 79
  9. 2024Self-Evolving Multi-Agent Collaboration Networks for Software Developmentcited by 74
  10. 2024Unveiling the Truth and Facilitating Change: Towards Agent-based Large-scale Social Movement Simulationcited by 71
  11. 2024TrustAgent: Towards Safe and Trustworthy LLM-based Agentscited by 64
  12. 2024Can Large Language Model Agents Simulate Human Trust Behavior?cited by 64
  13. 2025G-Safeguard: A Topology-Guided Security Lens and Treatment on LLM-based Multi-agent Systemscited by 59
  14. 2023Experiential Co-Learning of Software-Developing Agentscited by 57
  15. 2024Game-theoretic LLM: Agent Workflow for Negotiation Gamescited by 56
  16. 2025Do as We Do, Not as You Think: the Conformity of Large Language Modelscited by 53
  17. 2024GenSim: A General Social Simulation Platform with Large Language Model based Agentscited by 50
  18. 2024Project Sid: Many-agent simulations toward AI civilizationcited by 49
  19. 2024MegaAgent: A Large-Scale Autonomous LLM-based Multi-Agent System Without Predefined SOPscited by 47
  20. 2024Self-Alignment of Large Language Models via Monopolylogue-based Social Scene Simulationcited by 46
  21. 2024A Scalable Communication Protocol for Networks of Large Language Modelscited by 45
  22. 2026A Survey of Agent Memory in the Second Half: Towards Self-Evolving and Long-Horizon Agentscited by 44
  23. 2024On the Prospects of Incorporating Large Language Models (LLMs) in Automated Planning and Scheduling (APS)cited by 40
  24. 2024Formal-LLM: Integrating Formal Language and Natural Language for Controllable LLM-based Agentscited by 40
  25. 2024KARMA: Augmenting Embodied AI Agents with Long-and-short Term Memory Systemscited by 39
  26. 2023LLM as OS, Agents as Apps: Envisioning AIOS, Agents and the AIOS-Agent Ecosystemcited by 38
  27. 2024ResearchTown: Simulator of Human Research Communitycited by 37
  28. 2025textitAgents Under Siege: Breaking Pragmatic Multi-Agent LLM Systems with Optimized Prompt Attackscited by 34
  29. 2025Generative to Agentic AI: Survey, Conceptualization, and Challengescited by 33
  30. 2024NetSafe: Exploring the Topological Safety of Multi-agent Networkscited by 29
  31. 2024PsychoGAT: A Novel Psychological Measurement Paradigm through Interactive Fiction Games with LLM Agentscited by 28
  32. 2024AMONGAGENTS: Evaluating Large Language Models in the Interactive Text-Based Social Deduction Gamecited by 28
  33. 2025Do Large Language Models Solve the Problems of Agent-Based Modeling? A Critical Review of Generative Social Simulationscited by 28
  34. 2023Learning to Break: Knowledge-Enhanced Reasoning in Multi-Agent Debate Systemcited by 26
  35. 2024PokeLLMon: A Human-Parity Agent for Pokemon Battles with Large Language Modelscited by 26
  36. 2024BattleAgentBench: A Benchmark for Evaluating Cooperation and Competition Capabilities of Language Models in Multi-Agent Systemscited by 26
  37. 2024Social Science Meets LLMs: How Reliable Are Large Language Models in Social Simulations?cited by 26
  38. 2024Disentangling Logic: The Role of Context in Large Language Model Reasoning Capabilitiescited by 22

50 most cited of 145 All 145 (JSON)

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Close in wording, no citation either way

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  2. 2024Open-Ended Wargames with Large Language Models
  3. 2026When AI Navigates the Fog of War
  4. 2025WGSR-Bench: Wargame-based Game-theoretic Strategic Reasoning Benchmark for Large Language Models
  5. 2024Computational Experiments Meet Large Language Model Based Agents: A Survey and Perspective
  6. 2026LLMs as Strategic Actors: Behavioral Alignment, Risk Calibration, and Argumentation Framing in Geopolitical Simulations
  7. 2026ConflictBench: Evaluating Human-AI Conflict via Interactive and Visually Grounded Environments
  8. 2026The End of Human Judgment in the Kill Chain? Relocating Initiative and Interpretation with Agentic AI