# Large Language Models can Achieve Social Balance

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.04054 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.04054/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 38 of its 68 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 5 Oct 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 38)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [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)
- [Deep reinforcement learning from human preferences](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03741/) (2017)
- [Finetuned Language Models Are Zero-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.01652/) (2021)
- [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)
- [The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.07864/) (2023)
- [A Multitask, Multilingual, Multimodal Evaluation of ChatGPT on Reasoning, Hallucination, and Interactivity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.04023/) (2023)
- [Large Language Model based Multi-Agents: A Survey of Progress and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.01680/) (2024)
- [Using Large Language Models to Simulate Multiple Humans and Replicate Human Subject Studies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.10264/) (2022)
- [SOTOPIA: Interactive Evaluation for Social Intelligence in Language Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.11667/) (2023)
- [Large Language Models Empowered Agent-based Modeling and Simulation: A Survey and Perspectives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.11970/) (2023)
- [InCharacter: Evaluating Personality Fidelity in Role-Playing Agents through Psychological Interviews](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.17976/) (2023)
- [Personality Traits in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.00184/) (2023)
- [In-Context Impersonation Reveals Large Language Models' Strengths and Biases](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.14930/) (2023)
- [EconAgent: Large Language Model-Empowered Agents for Simulating Macroeconomic Activities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.10436/) (2023)
- [Simulating Opinion Dynamics with Networks of LLM-based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.09618/) (2023)
- [Value Kaleidoscope: Engaging AI with Pluralistic Human Values, Rights, and Duties](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.00779/) (2023)
- [Community Interaction and Conflict on the Web](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.03697/) (2018)
- [Can ChatGPT Assess Human Personalities? A General Evaluation Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.01248/) (2023)
- [CompeteAI: Understanding the Competition Dynamics in Large Language Model-based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.17512/) (2023)
- [GPT-RE: In-context Learning for Relation Extraction using Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.02105/) (2023)
- [SDGNN: Learning Node Representation for Signed Directed Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.02390/) (2021)
- [How Trustworthy are Open-Source LLMs? An Assessment under Malicious Demonstrations Shows their Vulnerabilities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.09447/) (2023)
- [The Wisdom of Partisan Crowds: Comparing Collective Intelligence in Humans and LLM-based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.09665/) (2023)
- [A Survey of Signed Network Mining in Social Media](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.07569/) (2015)
- [What Does the Bot Say? Opportunities and Risks of Large Language Models in Social Media Bot Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.00371/) (2024)
- [POLE: Polarized Embedding for Signed Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.09899/) (2021)

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [The PIMMUR Principles: Ensuring Validity in Collective Behavior of LLM Societies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.18052/) (2025)
- [Bypassing Safety Guardrails in LLMs Using Humor](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.06577/) (2025)
- [When Is Emergent Consensus Real? A Measured Coupling Gain and a Validity Diagnostic for LLM Agent Societies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.22203/) (2026)
- [Can One-sided Arguments Lead to Response Change in Large Language Models?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.06260/) (2026)
- [Who Does What? Archetypes of Roles Assigned to LLMs During Human-AI Decision-Making](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.11924/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Large Language Models (LLMs) can be deployed in situations where they process positive/negative interactions with other agents. We study how this is done under the sociological framework of social balance, which explains the emergence of one faction or multiple antagonistic ones among agents. Across different LLM models, we find that balance depends on the (i) type of interaction, (ii) update mechanism, and (iii) population size. Across (i)-(iii), we characterize the frequency at which social balance is achieved, the justifications for the social dynamics, and the diversity and stability of interactions. Finally, we explain how our findings inform the deployment of agentic systems.