# Creative Adversarial Testing (CAT): A Novel Framework for Evaluating Goal-Oriented Agentic AI Systems

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.23006 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.23006/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 9 of its 11 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 26 Sep 2025.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 9 of 9)

- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11366/) (2023)
- [A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.11432/) (2023)
- [Mind2Web: Towards a Generalist Agent for the Web](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.06070/) (2023)
- [Describe, Explain, Plan and Select: Interactive Planning with Large Language Models Enables Open-World Multi-Task Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.01560/) (2023)
- [InterCode: Standardizing and Benchmarking Interactive Coding with Execution Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.14898/) (2023)
- [AdaPlanner: Adaptive Planning from Feedback with Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.16653/) (2023)
- [SwiftSage: A Generative Agent with Fast and Slow Thinking for Complex Interactive Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.17390/) (2023)
- [MultiPrompter: Cooperative Prompt Optimization with Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.16730/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Agentic AI represents a paradigm shift in enhancing the capabilities of generative AI models. While these systems demonstrate immense potential and power, current evaluation techniques primarily focus on assessing their efficacy in identifying appropriate agents, tools, and parameters. However, a critical gap exists in evaluating the alignment between an Agentic AI system's tasks and its overarching goals. This paper introduces the Creative Adversarial Testing (CAT) framework, a novel approach designed to capture and analyze the complex relationship between Agentic AI tasks and the system's intended objectives. We validate the CAT framework through extensive simulation using synthetic interaction data modeled after Alexa+ audio services, a sophisticated Agentic AI system that shapes the user experience for millions of users globally. This synthetic data approach enables comprehensive testing of edge cases and failure modes while protecting user privacy. Our results demonstrate that the CAT framework provides unprecedented insights into goal-task alignment, enabling more effective optimization and development of Agentic AI systems.