# A Survey on Large Language Models for Automated Planning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.12435 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.12435/

## Key facts

- Cited by 17 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 79 of its 93 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 18 Feb 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 79)

- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03629/) (2022)
- [Self-Consistency Improves Chain of Thought Reasoning in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.11171/) (2022)
- [Large Language Models are Zero-Shot Reasoners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.11916/) (2022)
- [Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11366/) (2023)
- [Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17651/) (2023)
- [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)
- [A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.11432/) (2023)
- [Least-to-Most Prompting Enables Complex Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.10625/) (2022)
- [AgentBench: Evaluating LLMs as Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.03688/) (2023)
- [WebShop: Towards Scalable Real-World Web Interaction with Grounded Language Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.01206/) (2022)
- [Mind2Web: Towards a Generalist Agent for the Web](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.06070/) (2023)
- [ALFWorld: Aligning Text and Embodied Environments for Interactive Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.03768/) (2020)
- [OSWorld: Benchmarking Multimodal Agents for Open-Ended Tasks in Real Computer Environments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.07972/) (2024)
- [Language Models Don't Always Say What They Think: Unfaithful Explanations in Chain-of-Thought Prompting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.04388/) (2023)
- [Large Language Models Cannot Self-Correct Reasoning Yet](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.01798/) (2023)
- [Graph of Thoughts: Solving Elaborate Problems with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.09687/) (2023)
- [Reasoning with Language Model is Planning with World Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.14992/) (2023)
- [Large Language Model based Multi-Agents: A Survey of Progress and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.01680/) (2024)
- [API-Bank: A Comprehensive Benchmark for Tool-Augmented LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.08244/) (2023)
- [Plan-and-Solve Prompting: Improving Zero-Shot Chain-of-Thought Reasoning by Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.04091/) (2023)
- [Emergent World Representations: Exploring a Sequence Model Trained on a Synthetic Task](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.13382/) (2022)
- [Understanding the planning of LLM agents: A survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.02716/) (2024)
- [VirtualHome: Simulating Household Activities via Programs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.07011/) (2018)
- [TravelPlanner: A Benchmark for Real-World Planning with Language Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.01622/) (2024)
- [PlanBench: An Extensible Benchmark for Evaluating Large Language Models on Planning and Reasoning about Change](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.10498/) (2022)
- [Language Models can Solve Computer Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17491/) (2023)
- [Language to Rewards for Robotic Skill Synthesis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.08647/) (2023)
- [TextWorld: A Learning Environment for Text-based Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.11532/) (2018)

## Built on by (most cited first, 17 of 17)

- [Large Language Models for Planning: A Comprehensive and Systematic Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.19683/) (2025)
- [Talk to Your Slides: High-Efficiency Slide Editing via Language-Driven Structured Data Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.11604/) (2025)
- [The Evolving Landscape of LLM- and VLM-Integrated Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.15214/) (2025)
- [Beyond Entangled Planning: Task-Decoupled Planning for Long-Horizon Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.07577/) (2026)
- [AgentDebugX: An Open-Source Toolkit for Failure Observability, Attribution, and Recovery in LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.18754/) (2026)
- [Orchestrating Human-AI Teams: The Manager Agent as a Unifying Research Challenge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.02557/) (2025)
- [TextAtari: 100K Frames Game Playing with Language Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.04098/) (2025)
- [Graph-Based Physics-Guided Urban PM2.5 Air Quality Imputation with Constrained Monitoring Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.06917/) (2025)
- [RoVLA: Multi-Consistency Constraints for Robust Vision-Language-Action Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.19678/) (2026)
- [Can LLMs Identify Tax Abuse?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.20097/) (2025)
- [SHERPA: A Model-Driven Framework for Large Language Model Execution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.00272/) (2025)
- [Using VLM Reasoning to Constrain Task and Motion Planning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.25548/) (2025)
- [Automated Generation of MDPs Using Logic Programming and LLMs for Robotic Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.23143/) (2025)
- [TabAgent: A Framework for Replacing Agentic Generative Components with Tabular-Textual Classifiers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.16429/) (2026)
- [Towards Neuro-symbolic Causal Rule Synthesis, Verification, and Evaluation Grounded in Legal and Safety Principles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.28087/) (2026)
- [Augmenting LLM Reasoning with Dynamic Notes Writing for Complex QA](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.16293/) (2025)
- [Generative AI-assisted Participatory Modeling in Socio-Environmental Planning under Deep Uncertainty](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.17021/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The planning ability of Large Language Models (LLMs) has garnered increasing attention in recent years due to their remarkable capacity for multi-step reasoning and their ability to generalize across a wide range of domains. While some researchers emphasize the potential of LLMs to perform complex planning tasks, others highlight significant limitations in their performance, particularly when these models are tasked with handling the intricacies of long-horizon reasoning. In this survey, we critically investigate existing research on the use of LLMs in automated planning, examining both their successes and shortcomings in detail. We illustrate that although LLMs are not well-suited to serve as standalone planners because of these limitations, they nonetheless present an enormous opportunity to enhance planning applications when combined with other approaches. Thus, we advocate for a balanced methodology that leverages the inherent flexibility and generalized knowledge of LLMs alongside the rigor and cost-effectiveness of traditional planning methods.