# Certified Guidance for Planning with Deep Generative Models

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.12815 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.12815/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Diffusion and flow policies for robotics, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models.
- Builds on 15 of its 30 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 22 Jan 2025.

## Placed in

- Diffusion models / [Diffusion and flow policies for robotics](https://mlsanity.com/diffusion/diffusion-and-flow-policies-for-robotics/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 15 of 15)

- [Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.11239/) (2020)
- [Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1503.03585/) (2015)
- [Generative Modeling by Estimating Gradients of the Data Distribution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.05600/) (2019)
- [Improved Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.09672/) (2021)
- [Improved Training of Wasserstein GANs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1704.00028/) (2017)
- [Conditional Generative Adversarial Nets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1411.1784/) (2014)
- [Planning with Diffusion for Flexible Behavior Synthesis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.09991/) (2022)
- [Improved Techniques for Training Score-Based Generative Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.09011/) (2020)
- [Wasserstein GAN](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1701.07875/) (2017)
- [CSDI: Conditional Score-based Diffusion Models for Probabilistic Time Series Imputation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.03502/) (2021)
- [Is Conditional Generative Modeling all you need for Decision-Making?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.15657/) (2022)
- [Safe Planning in Dynamic Environments using Conformal Prediction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.10254/) (2022)
- [Probabilistic Safety for Bayesian Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.10281/) (2020)
- [Sampling-Based Motion Planning: A Comparative Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.13119/) (2023)
- [Conformal Quantitative Predictive Monitoring of STL Requirements for Stochastic Processes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.02375/) (2022)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Guiding Neuro-Symbolic Scenario Generation with Spatio-Temporal Logic](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.19038/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Deep generative models, such as generative adversarial networks and diffusion models, have recently emerged as powerful tools for planning tasks and behavior synthesis in autonomous systems. Various guidance strategies have been introduced to steer the generative process toward outputs that are more likely to satisfy the planning objectives. These strategies avoid the need for model retraining but do not provide any guarantee that the generated outputs will satisfy the desired planning objectives. To address this limitation, we introduce certified guidance, an approach that modifies a generative model, without retraining it, into a new model guaranteed to satisfy a given specification with probability one. We focus on Signal Temporal Logic specifications, which are rich enough to describe nontrivial planning tasks. Our approach leverages neural network verification techniques to systematically explore the latent spaces of the generative models, identifying latent regions that are certifiably correct with respect to the STL property of interest. We evaluate the effectiveness of our method on four planning benchmarks using GANs and diffusion models. Our results confirm that certified guidance produces generative models that are always correct, unlike existing guidance methods that are not certified.