# What if LLMs Have Different World Views: Simulating Alien Civilizations with LLM-based Agents

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.13184 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.13184/

## Key facts

- Cited by 13 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 13 of its 47 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 20 Feb 2024.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [Social simulation and multi-agent debate](https://mlsanity.com/agents/social-simulation-and-multi-agent-debate/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 13 of 13)

- [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)
- [Large Language Models are Zero-Shot Reasoners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.11916/) (2022)
- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [Improving Factuality and Reasoning in Language Models through Multiagent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.14325/) (2023)
- [The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.07864/) (2023)
- [CAMEL: Communicative Agents for "Mind" Exploration of Large Language Model Society](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17760/) (2023)
- [ChatEval: Towards Better LLM-based Evaluators through Multi-Agent Debate](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.07201/) (2023)
- [Multi-Agent Collaboration: Harnessing the Power of Intelligent LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.03314/) (2023)
- [The Impact of Reasoning Step Length on Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.04925/) (2024)
- [War and Peace (WarAgent): Large Language Model-based Multi-Agent Simulation of World Wars](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.17227/) (2023)
- [Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Evaluating Strategic Planning and Execution of LLM Agents in an Auction Arena](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.05746/) (2023)
- [Lyfe Agents: Generative agents for low-cost real-time social interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.02172/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 13 of 13)

- [Advances and Challenges in Foundation Agents: From Brain-Inspired Intelligence to Evolutionary, Collaborative, and Safe Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.01990/) (2025)
- [A Survey on Large Language Model-Based Game Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.02039/) (2024)
- [From Individual to Society: A Survey on Social Simulation Driven by Large Language Model-based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.03563/) (2024)
- [From AI for Science to Agentic Science: A Survey on Autonomous Scientific Discovery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.14111/) (2025)
- [MegaAgent: A Large-Scale Autonomous LLM-based Multi-Agent System Without Predefined SOPs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.09955/) (2024)
- [When AI Meets Finance (StockAgent): Large Language Model-based Stock Trading in Simulated Real-world Environments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.18957/) (2024)
- [Integrating LLMs with ITS: Recent Advances, Potentials, Challenges, and Future Directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.04437/) (2025)
- [Disentangling Logic: The Role of Context in Large Language Model Reasoning Capabilities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.02787/) (2024)
- [Language Models as Critical Thinking Tools: A Case Study of Philosophers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.04516/) (2024)
- [Are Human Interactions Replicable by Generative Agents? A Case Study on Pronoun Usage in Hierarchical Interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.15283/) (2025)
- [Shall We Play a Game? Language Models for Open-ended Wargames](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.17192/) (2025)
- [Evaluating Large Language Models in a Complex Hidden Role Game](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.22826/) (2026)
- [SCSimulator: An Exploratory Visual Analytics Framework for Partner Selection in Supply Chains through LLM-driven Multi-Agent Simulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.14566/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This study introduces "CosmoAgent," an innovative artificial intelligence system that utilizes Large Language Models (LLMs) to simulate complex interactions between human and extraterrestrial civilizations. This paper introduces a mathematical model for quantifying the levels of civilization development and further employs a state transition matrix approach to evaluate their trajectories. Through this methodology, our study quantitatively analyzes the growth trajectories of civilizations, providing insights into future decision-making at critical points of growth and saturation. Furthermore, this paper acknowledges the vast diversity of potential living conditions across the universe, which could foster unique cosmologies, ethical codes, and worldviews among different civilizations. Recognizing the Earth-centric bias inherent in current LLM designs, we propose the novel concept of using LLM agents with diverse ethical paradigms and simulating interactions between entities with distinct moral principles. This innovative research not only introduces a novel method for comprehending potential inter-civilizational dynamics but also holds practical value in enabling entities with divergent value systems to strategize, prevent conflicts, and engage in games under conditions of asymmetric information. The accompanying code is available at https://github.com/MingyuJ666/Simulating-Alien-Civilizations-with-LLM-based-Agents.